To Love A Ghost
by phanpiggy
Summary: Takes place after the 'Stranger Than You Dreamt It' scene. Story takes an alternate course of events from the real musical. Plently of E/C fluff, angst and drama! Guaranteed to be g-r-r-r-eat and part of a nutritious breakfast! Please read and review!
1. Fallen Angel

**Hello, I'm gonna attempt to write a longer fic with more than a few chapters. This will be hard for me. I have mad writing skillz, but I find it difficult to form a story out of my work... I can write a few pages that are beautifully composed, yet I can't make everything work into a plot! So, please send me any ideas for how this story should continue. Thanks!**

**Note: This follows the "I remember.../ Stranger than you dreamt it..." scene. Kind of a blend of the musical, the movie, Leroux Phantom, and Susan Kay Phantom… Mostly musical/movie…**

**Christine's POV:**

My dear Angel had fallen. Not physically of course, he was much too sure-footed, even in the darkness enveloping us, to stumble. But, he had fallen emotionally, fallen and shattered apart... All because of me...

Why did I rip the mask from his face? Looking back, it seems like it was an awfully cruel and cold-hearted thing of me to do... It _had _been cruel. Even as he screamed and cursed at me, I could see that he was filled with much more sadness and pain than he was rage...

This man before me had more sadness in his eyes than I thought was humanly possible for one heart to hold...

I'd pierced a dagger through his heart by unmasking him. For some reason, I had to see the face of my Angel... I _had _to know what was under that mask, I _had _to know...

Though I wished that I wouldn't have torn the mask from his face. I would rather have gone without satisfying my curiosity than to see my Angel so utterly destroyed right now.

Why should I care that I've hurt this man? He lied to me, kidnapped me, he's the infamous Phantom of the Opera-he's dangerous... And yet, I don't care about that. He was my Angel of Music, and still is. The Angel that taught me, cared about me, protected me, was here before me. Not as some celestial, divine being, but as a living, breathing man... A man who loved me with all his heart... I loved my Angel... Maybe a could learn to love this man...

" I-I'm so sorry", that was all I could think of to say.

Slowly, I handed him the white, leathery mask. He immediately placed it over his distorted flesh. I watch him sit there disconsolate and unmoving. Bravely, I came closer to him and embraced him... I wrapped my arms around him ever so tenderly. He stiffened and appeared shocked by my comforting gesture.

Still having my arms around him, I continued, "I truly am sorry... I shouldn't have taken off your mask... I never meant to hurt you..."

I began to cry like I was a little girl. After several moments, he placed his arm around my shaking, sobbing form. I didn't move a muscle.

"Christine, my angel, please... do not cry... I can't bear to see you sad..."

He kept his arm around me and I made no attempt to shake it off. It felt... _good _to have my Angel so near. I stayed there with my head resting against his chest, listening to his breathing and inhaling the soft scent of his cologne. My tears stopped and a strange feeling of calm came over me.

My Angel dropped his arm from around me and stood.

"Come, Christine, we must return... Those two fools who run my theatre will be missing you."

If I had been given the choice to leave only a few minutes previously, I would have went back to the world above in a heartbeat... My Angel's fury had been so intense after I unmasked him that all I wanted was to left this hell beneath the opera... Now though, after seeing all the sadness and agony in my Angel's eyes, I couldn't stand to cause him pain by my leaving.

"Christine, come." He held his hand out to me, but I didn't take it.

"But... will you be alright...?"

He just stared at me with a puzzled look on the unmasked side of his face. I repeated my question,

"If... if I go, will you be okay?" Repeating his words, I added, "I can't bear to see you sad."

I was unable to read his expression. He turned his back to me.

"Christine, just leave. I am well accustomed to solitude and misery..."

It was so dark, but I swear that I saw a tear trickle down his cheek... It broke my heart. I stood and approached him without fear.

"Then, I'll stay with you... You don't have to be alone."


	2. Erik's Muse

**Okay, chapter 2… Read it and review s'il vous plait! Okay, from now on, when it's Christine's POV, the type will be italicized and Erik's POV will be normal type.**

She wishes to stay? Why…? She saw my face! The hideous deformity beneath the mask! She coward in fear, yet she later embraced me in a comforting gesture. I've never been touched before, at least not in a compassionate way… Whenever anyone put a hand on me, it was never to comfort my tears… To beat me, yes… To chain me up in a filthy cage, yes… To yank me by the hair and force me to look at the jeering, laughing crowd, yes… But to comfort my tears! Never has any human being done such a thing for me!

Oh, sweet, beautiful Christine! Surely you mustn't be human! You are too kind to belong to that cruel race which lives above me, shunning me into solitude! You must be an angel from heaven! A sweet, beautiful angel who would be holy enough to reach out to an ugly, worthless being such as myself.

I cried. I could not contain my tears any longer.

"Oh, angel! Please don't cry!" And again she embraced me. I had to pull myself together or I'd simply lose myself in tears…

"Erik," I said. She gave me a confused expression. "Erik is my real name, Christine. Don't call me angel. That was a lie. I am no Angel of Music and I apologize for leading you to believe I was."

"Erik…" Oh, how sweet my name sounded on her lips! "I like that name, Erik."

"Christine," I said as I wiped the tears from my eyes, "are you hungry, my dear?"

"Well, actually I haven't eaten in a while… What time is it?"

Taking out my pocket watch, I read, "10:30 am. You were passed out for a long time, Christine. Come along, I can make you some breakfast in the kitchen."

She followed me to the kitchen, taking in everything around her. "Your home is quite lovely." She said as we entered the marble-floored kitchen. "Thank you, Christine. If you wish, I could give you a tour of my home later…"

"I would enjoy that." She gave me a shimmering, white smile that made my heart melt…

* * *

_I was glad that Erik seemed to be feeling better as he returned my smile… I hated to see people upset, especially those I cared about. _

_ Erik pulled out a chair at the kitchen table for me, as a true gentleman should, and I sat down. He then proceeded to make me an omelet with cheese, ham, and pepper—my favorite for breakfast. He made some toast with jam and set a plate of fresh fruit out for me. Breakfast was quite good. Especially because I was famished—food tastes even better when you're starving._

_ Once I was done, I picked up the fine china plates and cups and brought them over to the sink to clean them. Erik stopped me saying, "Let me do it, Christine, you shouldn't have to clean up."_

_ Normally, back at the ballet dormitories, all the girls were expected to help out. Madame Giry would crack down on you if you complained or refused to do your share. "No, it's okay Erik, really, I can clean up."_

"_I insist, my dear, it will not take me long." It was obvious that Erik had a stubborn personality, so, I protested no more as I watched him wash, dry, and put away the dishes._

_ When he was done he said, "Would you like that tour now?"_

"_Of course."_

I showed her my music room first. It being my favorite and most proud of as far as furnishing and design… She was awestruck when she entered and saw the ornate pipe organ pressed against the corner wall. She then proceeded to look about the room in wonder, browsing through the many instruments I have acquired over the years. Her interest turned to the mandolin-like instrument lying in the corner. I gestured to her that it was alright to pick it up. She carefully picked up the instrument, examining it with great curiosity.

"I've never seen anything like this… What is it?"

"It's a popular Hungarian instrument. It's called a tamboura." I took the instrument from her hands and played a short, sweet little melody.

"Where did you learn to play that?" She inquired with feminine curiosity.

Trying to be modest I said, "I did not learn from anywhere. I taught myself to play… I enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to work things."

"You must have every instrument on the planet in here." She giggled. Oh, how sweet the sound of that laugh is coming from her perfect lips!

"Would you play me something you wrote?" She asked, gesturing to my large, unorganized collection of musical compositions.

"Of course." I probably had written more pieces of music than there were people on Earth, so I had plenty to choose from. I ended up picking out a song that I just wrote a few days back. It was for her. My angel, my love, my muse, my Christine.

I sat down on the piano bench to play. To my surprise, Christine sat down next to me on the bench, so close we were touching. I looked over at her and she said, "Oh, I'm sorry. Do you want me to move?"

"No, Christine, you're fine where you are."

True, it was harder to play with less elbow room, but as long as Christine was next to me, I was content. I set my fingers on the keys and began to play with my muse beside me.

* * *

**And that's it for this chapter! Good? Bad? Adequate? Review! As long as your answer isn't that the story's bad. **


	3. Reliving the Past

**Yay! Chapter 3, here we go! Read and review or else… Or else… I don't know…**

___My angel played with such focus and passion, his fingers danced upon the keys so gracefully… It was as if he was lost in some other realm… Some world of music, beautiful, sweet, angelic music... Sitting by Erik's side, reveling in the splendor of his music, brought back memories of long ago when my father was still with me. Every evening, rain or shine, Papa and I would sit out on the porch of our small, but quaint cottage by the sea. He would play me the loveliest Scandinavian folk songs on his violin… I would sing along and he would smile at me so full of pride that I felt as if I were already a prima donna… Oh Papa, why did you have to leave me? I would give anything to have you back with me!_

_ My thoughts returned to the present as the final notes of Erik's song rang out and slowly faded away._

"_That was so lovely, Erik. Thank you."_

"_Anything for you, my dear… What was it that you were thinking about?"_

"_N-Nothing! Nothing at all."_

"_Of your many talents, my angel, lying, has never been something you've excelled in."_

"… _I was just recalling some memories of my father…"_

_ He then got up with nothing more than an "Oh". He walked back over to the shelf and filed away his composition. It was so hard to know what he was thinking…_

"_Erik?"_

_ Turning around to face me he said, "Yes, Christine?"_

"_What were your mother and father like?"_

_ His gaze changed from cool and collected to full of pain._

_ Erik walked over to the mantelpiece and grabbed a photo frame that was turned around facing the wall. He brought it over to me, opening the double frame revealing two faded portraits. One was of a young man with dark hair and kind, caring eyes-- the adjacent picture being of an exquisitely beautiful woman with long, wavy chestnut hair and almost black eyes. _

_Emotionlessly, Erik said, "This is my mother and father." He took in a deep breath before continuing, "My father, Charles, was a stonemason. I never met him. He died in an accident at one of the worksites before I was born."_

"_Your mother had to raise you alone, then?"_

"_Yes, but my mother came from a fairly wealthy family, so she had enough money to live on without having an income…"_

"_And what else about your mother? What was she like?" I had a good hunch that I was hitting a sensitive topic, but I wanted to know as much as I could learn about my angel._

_ Erik turned from me. I almost thought he wasn't going to speak. He started off almost inaudibly, "My mother's name was Madeline… She was selfish and was used to getting everything she wanted. Charles promised her a perfect child. She got me instead. She never held me, never told me she loved me, my own mother couldn't even kiss me! She always shuttered in disgust at me and would often lock me in my room for the whole day. She beat me senselessly if I left my room without my mask…" Erik voice still held absolutely no expression, but in his eyes, it seemed as if painful memories of the past were playing over and over again._

"…_When I was about six-years-old, my mother and I had a fight. She got much angrier than I had ever seen her get before… She-she told me she hated me. She said she hated everything about me. She slapped me and said she would give anything for me to just die. For her ugly, monstrous son to just die. I said nothing at first, I just cried. Then, I told her I hated her too… I didn't though. I loved my mother, I just wished that she would love me too…That was the last time I saw her. That night I ran away from home. I ran away because I loved my mother and wanted her to be happy. And if me leaving forever was what she wanted then I'd go and never come back… A few years ago, I happened to see her name in the obituaries. I cried about it! She despised me and yet I still loved her! Why?! Why does everything I love hate me so?!"_

_ Erik screamed the last sentence in agony and sunk to his knees. The site brought me such sorrow that I'd almost wished that I'd never asked about his parents._

"_Erik, please do not cry." Great, Christine. Those are the best words of comfort you have to offer this poor man? _

_ I closed the few feet that were separating me from him and I wrapped my arms around him just as I'd done earlier this morning. _

"_Erik,_ I _do not hate you." His mother never kissed him… Ever so bravely, I leaned over and planted a gentle kiss on his lips._

* * *

I must be dreaming! I must be! Christine _kissed_ me! _Kissed _me! All I could do was sit there on the floor and cry. I cried harder than I'd ever had before. No, not the tears of pain and sheer agony that I normally cry, but tears of joy! Sheer joy for being kissed!

Looking up at my radiant angel I cried, "Oh Christine, I love you!"


	4. The Devil's Child

**Sorry I haven't written in like a month… I've been busy… I have some free time, so here goes the next chapter…**

***Note: Erik's POV will now be in bold type and the regular type will mean the story has changed to 3****rd**** person POV. Sorry for the confusion!***

**Again, don't own Phantom!**

"Please tell me that you have seen Christine." The young Viscount de Chagny stood outside the manager's office at the Opera Populaire. He was out of breath and tousled from his frantic search for Christine.

"No, I'm afraid not, Monsieur le Viscount. No one has seen Mademoiselle Daae since last night after the gala," Andre replied. Not wanting to displease the generous patron, Monsieur Andre quickly added, "But perhaps you could ask Madame Giry or her daughter, Meg. They are awfully close to Christine… They may know of her whereabouts."

Without wasting a second, the Viscount shot off like a comet to the Corps de Ballet practice hall. As he entered the room, ballet rats were immediately on him, flirting and gushing over him. He paid no attention to this and walked across the room to the stern Ballet Mistress. He gave a slight bow to her before starting.

"Madame, may I inquire if you have seen Mademoiselle Daae?"

The Madame shook her head, "Non, I have not seen Christine. Why do you wish to know where she is?"

"I had asked her to supper last night after the gala. When I returned from fetching my carriage, the door to her dressing room was locked and I heard a strange voice coming from behind the door… I called her name over and over but she did not answer me. I became worried and I pried the door open with all my strength… She was not there. The room was empty, Madame."

Madame Giry, as hard as she tried to conceal it, still had a look of absolute shock over her worn features. She took in a deep breath and turned from the Viscount.

In a hushed voice, not wanting the ballet rats to overhear, she said to the Viscount, "I may know where Christine is. I shall go and see if my assumption is correct, but it will not be safe for you. Stay here and I will be back before noon."

The old woman signaled for her daughter to come near. "Meg, I will be gone for a couple of hours, maybe more. You will direct the other girls in practice while I'm gone."

"Maman, can't I come with you?" Ever since the previous night, Meg's curiosity about the Phantom and what her mother knew had grown to be unbearable for the young ballerina.

"Non, you must stay here." With that Madame Giry walked away leaving a very confused Raoul and a very disappointed Meg in her wake.

**Oh my Christine is so perfect! It's no wonder why the Viscount was pursuing her. Any man would. And many men have. She's more beautiful than Helen of Troy, one glance from Christine Daae could knock any man off his feet. She has a heart of gold; she has enough kindness to make the most sorrowful person smile. And her voice! That voice that belongs to me! That I've worked so long to train and perfect. That sweet, pure voice that could make angels weep! Though my sweet Christine has denied every man that has attempted to woo her. She wished to stay faithful to her Angel. But why is she here now? Why has she not run off with her handsome Viscount now that she knows that I'm no angel, that I'm just a hideous, deformed beast? And why did she kiss me? I knew that the answer was pity. But she kissed me and did not look disgusted at all… In fact she smiled!**

**Angelic is the only word that can describe her. She had given me my first hug and kiss, which is more than I ever could have asked of her.**

"**Angel, are you alright?" Christine's words knocked me back to reality and I turned to face her. We were sitting on the divan in the living room.**

"**Yes, I'm quite fine."**

"**What were you thinking about?"**

**I watched the flames in the fireplace flicker and dance about. "Nothing."**

"**You know, you may be better at lying than I am, but you're not perfect at it." She gave me a grin and I realized the strange parallel to our conversation before in the music room.**

"**I was just thinking about you… And that kiss…"**

**Christine smiled sweetly at me and then blushed a little. Oh, how that slight color to her porcelain cheeks made her shine! She was too beautiful to dwell down here any longer… If I wanted her, I couldn't keep her down here- she would wilt like a rose deprived of sunlight. **

"**And I was also thinking that you need to return to the world above… For awhile of course, I wouldn't leave you alone." Alone for that ignorant fool to claim you, I added in my head. "It is not healthy for you to stay down here."**

**She looked up at me and placed her hand over mine. "Nor is healthy for **_**you**_** to be down here," she replied.**

"**Do not worry about me, my dear, in my lifetime I have survived through some… **_**unfavorable **_**conditions. I think I can take living down here. Even if it does cause me ill health, it's much better for me to stay down here where mankind cannot hurt and torment me."**

**Christine looked down at her dainty feet and sighed in sorrow. I needed to remember how sensitive she is and stop bringing up my depressing history. She turned her head upwards back toward me and said, "If I return to the Opera, will you promise to come outside with me someday and go for a walk in the Bois? The weather's been fairly nice and there are parts of the park where there are not many people."**

**She was asking me to go out in public with her? **

"**I…well…"**

**I was interrupted by a female voice calling, "Erik!" Christine and I both turned to face an older woman with erect posture, stern features, and holding a cane that remained unused... It was Madame Giry.**

_She called him Erik? How did Madame Giry know his name and how to get down to his home? Most of the journey down to the Phantom's world was a blur to me, like it was a dream from long ago, but I do remember that it certainly wasn't an easy trip. How could Madame have found the secret passageways? She did always seem to know more about 'OG' than the other workers at the Opera… She was always the one to present the managers with the notes from le Fantôme… She always scolded the ballerinas for their constant gossiping about the infamous 'ghost'… And as strict as she normally is, she always seemed to let me go to my lessons late at night in the chapel with my Angel of Music… Had she known that my Angel was really the Phantom?_

_She remained very cool and collected as she spoke to me, "Ah, Christine there you are. I assumed you would be here." She turned to Erik and a frown formed upon her face. "Erik, why on Earth do you have Christine down here with you?"_

_Erik returned her frown and stood to his full height, though the woman before him did not seem to be intimidated by him. "Madame, I believe that it is none of your business as to where Christine chooses to be."_

_Her expression softened and she took a few steps toward Erik. "Erik, surely she cannot be down here by her own volition. You must be realistic, Erik, and realize that you cannot force her to stay down here with you."_

_A dangerous, searing anger glowed in Erik's emerald eyes as he yelled, "CHRISTINE IS HERE BY HER OWN WILL, MADAME! I ASSURE YOU, SHE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO LEAVE IF SHE WISHES!"_

_I was expecting Madame Giry to cower in fear as I had the first time when Erik yelled at me. But she didn't. She stood her ground and approached him like he was no more than a harmless child. She placed her hand on his shoulder and in a low voice began to say, "Erik, please you must understa-"_

"_I am here by my own will, Madame." I actually had the courage to say. Erik and Madame Giry turned to face me as I walked toward them. "Erik was actually just telling me that he wished for me to return to the surface." I bravely put my hand on my maestro's arm to emphasize my point._

_Madame sighed and said almost to herself, "I'm not sure what is going on, but Christine is returning with me to the opera house. She is being missed." Madame approached me and seized my arm gently. _

_As she pulled me towards the gondola floating on the crystal waters, I turned back to Erik, "Goodbye, I will see you tonight in the chapel for my lesson?"_

"_Of course, my love."_

_I gingerly waved goodbye to my Angel and sat down on the silky sheets inside the gondola. Madame Giry picked up the oars and began to set off towards the shore on the other end of the underground lake. After about five minutes of drifting through the waters, I could not hold back my curiosity much longer, "Madame, how do you know Erik?" She did not turn to face me, but spoke despondently, "You are a sensitive soul, my dear. I do not think you should know of how I became acquainted with Erik… The story is not a cheerful one…" _

_I considered this for a moment and then decided to seize the opportunity to learn more about Erik. "Please, tell me Madame."_

_She sighed, "Very well."_

The glassy waters flickered a rainbow of color across the rock walls of the cavern. It was beautiful, yet a stark contrast to the solemn mood resting in the air.

The older of the two women in the boat took in a deep breath before reliving the past, "Years ago, when I was no more than twelve years old, several of my companions from the Corps de Ballet persuaded me to accompany them to a traveling fair in the city. It was an awful place- gypsies, frightening human oddities, fortune tellers, exotic beasts in cages; I could not share in my friends' enjoyment…

"There was a small monkey in Persian robes that could play the cymbals… the young ballerinas and I followed it to a large black and red striped tent. Hanging above the tent a sign in blood red paint announced the "Devil's Child". My cohorts were drawn in by this and beckoned me to follow them in. I was shocked to see an iron cage displayed in the middle of the tent. I was afraid and lingered by the door. Several of the ballet girls pulled me through the crowd that was flocked around the metal prison so as to get a better view at whatever creature was inside its bars…

"It was no creature at all. It was a young boy, probably no more than nine lying in a pile of filthy straw... The young boy was covered in dirt and had scars all over his malnourished body that looked like they were from many whippings. He was wearing nothing but a coarse pair of tattered pants and a sack over his head. In his hands, he held tight onto a stuffed monkey toy that much resembled the live one which pranced about the cage. He turned to me and through the two little holes torn in the sack, I could see such agony and despair in his eyes that was unlike anything I have ever witnessed…

"An enormous, gruff, bearded gypsy man walked out next to the cage carrying a whip. He bellowed, "Welcome Monsieurs and Madames, you are about to witness the most hideous beast to ever walk this face of the Earth- the Devil's Child, straight from the fires of Hell." He took out a large, iron key and unlocked the door to the cage. Several young children and women backed up in fear. The large Gypsy man approached the young boy in the cage and unceremoniously kicked the boy harshly in the side. Many of the people laughed at this, but I could not find any amusement in this abuse…

"The boy backed into the corner of his cage, quite visibly petrified in fear. The man yelled fiercely at him, "Get over here, you ugly little bastard and show your face to the crowd! Or do I have to come over there and lash every inch of skin off your disgusting little body?" The boy began to sob and curled up in a shivering ball. The man stomped over to the corner of the cage and screamed and whipped and kicked the boy till he was bloody…

"The boy went slack, resigned to his fate and the showman ripped the coarse sack off his head… Oh, Mon Dieu! The sheer horror of it! The crowd jeered and screamed in horrified delight. Some laughed or threw things at the boy… I shall never forget the look in the boy's eyes…they were so devoid of happiness and filled with shame… I was the only one who wept for the poor boy…

"The crowd began to disperse, but I couldn't seem to detach myself from the room. I wanted to help the boy. But how could I? Just as I turned and began to tread toward the exit, I heard a stifled cry of agony. I turned to see the boy straggling his master with a rope. The Gypsy man gasped and tried to pull the rope from his neck, but within several seconds, the man came crashing down to the floor like a rock—dead. My God, I had just witnessed a murder! And yet I still had the undying urge to help the murderer escape…

"I took hold of the large, iron key and unlocked the cage door. Someone must have heard the racket, because I perceived the sound of several men coming to investigate. Without a moment's thought, I grabbed the boy's hand and ran as fast as my feet would carry me down the streets of Paris to the only place I could think of to hide him… I believe you know where I mean…

"He has lived here in solitude ever since and adopted the persona of the Opera Ghost… I'm not sure if what I did all those years ago was the right thing to do. I don't think I'll ever know. He has committed unimaginable crimes and yet I cannot forget the tortured, pained soul behind those eyes…"

How can one hear only nightmares yet see only beauty in another's soul? Most of mankind believes what they hear about others and will thus despise that dubbed monstrous person. Christine Daae was different. She could see the endless beauty in a supposedly black soul and even more horrid exterior. Which is why a crystal tear slid down her porcelain cheek and rippled into the still waters.

**Huzzah! Another chapter complete! More to come, sometime or another… I'll get around to it…**


	5. Diamond in the Dark

**Again, I never have, never will own Phantom or any of its characters…**

**Remember:**

**Italics--Christine's POV**

**Bold—Erik's POV**

**Regular type—3****rd**** person POV**

Madame Giry pressed down upon the sides of the mirror and the glass immediately swung open. Madame Giry walked through the portal and set her lantern on the vanity. Christine stepped through as well and Madame Giry closed the mirror, concealing the secret passage once again. Madame Giry walked across the span of the room to Christine's wardrobe and took out a casual, light blue gown and handed it to her surrogate daughter.

"Here, you need to change. You cannot go walking about the opera in your robe… And the Viscount has been worried sick about you, so I shall send him in promptly. Would five minutes be long enough for you to change and make yourself presentable for Monsieur le Viscount?"

Christine quietly nodded and Madame Giry turned to take her leave. Putting on the silky fabric of the dress, Christine thought of many things. She thought of her late father and recited in her mind the story of the Angel of Music, she thought of Little Lotte and the young boy who rescued her scarf from the sea, but what she pondered most of was Erik. Christine tried to understand him, she wanted to understand him. His music, his love for her, his past… Oh the horror of his past! Christine's hands trembled trying to lace her corset as she thought of Erik being beaten and laughed at. How could people be so cruel? She missed the happy sanctuary she had when it was just her and her Papa. No one hurt others in that sanctuary. It was just her loving, kind Papa. Christine had been so innocent and oblivious to the cruelty of the real world… Yet, Christine thought, what did she know of cruelty compared to the torture Erik has experienced his whole life? Doomed to live a life of pain and loneliness and being unloved… But was he really unloved? Christine thought to herself, do I … do I lov—

Her thoughts were interrupted as a still concerned but now more relaxed than before Raoul burst into the room. He'd forgotten to knock out of excitement to see Christine back and safe. Thankfully though, Christine was decent and just finishing brushing through her tumbling mass of dark curls.

"Oh, thank God! You _are _back safe and sound!" Raoul exclaimed as he dashed toward his beloved and knelt before her at her vanity, just as he had the previous night. "Where were you, Christine? When I had come back here last night you had vanished! Please, tell me what happened, Little Lotte."

Christine contemplated on how much she should tell Raoul and how much he'd even believe. She didn't want him to think that she'd gone mad!

"I… well, my singing teacher was not happy about you asking me to supper so he… insisted that I come with him to his home for my lesson."

"Your singing teacher? You mean your 'Angel of Music'?" Raoul was serious, but gave an ever so slight chuckle.

"There is no Angel of Music, Raoul."

"But… Last night you had said…"

Thinking of an excuse, Christine quickly cut Raoul off to say in a forged jolly mood, "Oh Raoul, I was not talking about a _real _angel! I call my singing teacher my Angel of Music. He inspires my song."

Raoul looked genuinely perplexed, "And this teacher… What is his name?"

Christine knew this question would come and knew also that she should answer truthfully. After a pause she said in a hushed tone, "His name is… Erik."

"_Erik…what?"Raoul inquired._

_It was then that I realized I didn't know Erik's full name. I could ask Erik later, but what should I tell Raoul now? I decided that it was best to just be truthful with him._

"_He… he has never told me his last name."_

"_And where precisely does this Erik live?"_

_What was I going to say now? I couldn't tell him that my tutor lived five stories under were we were standing!_

_As if giving me the solution to my dilemma, the door swung open revealing an excited Meg rushing in, relieving me from having to respond to Raoul's question._

"_Oh, Christine! I was so worried! Thank God you're okay!" Meg said, whilst crushing me in an embrace. _

_The blonde girl continued, "Maman told me that you were back, so I came here as soon as I could."_

_Madame Giry probably knew that Raoul would hound me with questions regarding my mysterious 'angel' and about my disappearance last evening. In my mind I silently thanked Madame for sending her chatty daughter in. _

"_I was just fine, Meg. I was with my teacher."_

_Meg looked genuinely confused, but shrugged it off, "Well, anyway, Maman says that you need to rehearse for tomorrow's performance… If you are feeling up to it, that is."_

_I saw a perfect window of opportunity for me to escape any further questioning, "Of course I feel up to it," which I truthfully did not, "I'm terribly sorry Raoul, but I really must be getting to rehearsals… I don't want to look like I'm slacking off."_

_Poor Raoul look more puzzled than ever, but rose to his feet and pressed a chaste kiss to my hand._

"_Perhaps you would honor me with the favor of taking you to dinner tonight then, Christine?"_

_I knew that he wished to question me further, but I did not want to be questioned! I wanted to talk to Raoul, but about old times, not about what had transpired last night. I wanted to reminisce about the times we spent as children playing in the quaint little cottage in Perros, about my father telling us fables of the Angel of Music and dark stories of the North. I wanted to discuss the past not the present with the boy who rescued my scarf from the sea all those years ago, I just wanted to be the Little Lotte he used to know._

"_I… I'm sorry, Raoul. I have other engagements tonight." I swiftly turned around to avoid facing a response and hurried to the door._

"_With your teacher, I presume?" Raoul said as I froze at the dressing room door._

_I stood in hesitant silence near the doorframe for several prolonged seconds._

"_Christine…," Raoul said, breaking the uneasy quietness, "Do you… love this Erik?"_

_This was one question that I hadn't anticipated for Raoul to ask… Did I love Erik? I knew that I loved my Angel of Music, but had I fallen in love with the man behind the façade as well? Yes, I felt awful about him having been outcasted and chastised his whole life when all he craved was love and acceptance… But did I feel more than pity and compassion for him?_

"_I… I don't know…"_

"_Then, perhaps you will let me take you to supper some other time then?" the Viscount inquired._

"_Perhaps," was all I said as I fled out of the room and away from my troubles... _

_Why did life have to be so difficult? Back when papa was alive, things had been so simple and the world was painted black and white. Now I have so many people to please and so many problems to solve that don't have simple answers. So I flee. I am always playing the role of the escapist. When shall I learn to have strength and face my fears? For now, my weakness makes me run from the inevitable horrors of reality._

A dark figure, clad in a cloak dark as midnight, stood shadowed behind the velvety curtains of Box 5. He watched a dozen or so ballerinas twirl and spin about, their white tutus becoming nothing more than part of a sinking and waning sea of skirts. The figure's interest was on one ballerina and one only. Her skirts rippled around her in a graceful pirouette, her dark curls cascaded down her pale shoulders. The figure starred, with longing at the young ballerina, completely enraptured by her beauty.

The brazen clank of Madame Giry's cane against the hard wood floor broke the shadowy figure out of his reverie.

"From the beginning of the ballet then." Madame banged her cane once more to emphasis her point. Although technically, rehearsals were not part of the itinerary on weeks when there were performances, the Ballet Mistress had the Corps de Ballet practice anyway as she had not found the ballerinas' performance last evening to be satisfactory. She had berated the girls over their "disgraceful" performance and criticized their dance steps. "Such ronds de jambe and temps de cuisse!" she had said. "You call yourselves dancers? Rehearse, now!" But beneath her outward show of remorseless indifference toward the girls, there actually lied a very maternal heart. The cloaked figure knew this from personal experience. Madame Giry had been one of the few people in his life who had showed some compassion toward him.

The ballet girls got into their positions and began to rehearse the main ballet in Act 1 of Hannibal. Madame beat time with her cane as the girls danced on their pointe shoes, performing graceful arabesques.

The beautiful girl with dark curls fell out of step, though telling by her countenance, she was not conscious of her mistake--too lost in daydreams to stay focused. Of course the other girls took notice of the mistake, as it threw off their cues. Expecting her to be reprimanded by the Ballet Mistress, the other girls stood agape when Madame merely told the dark-haired girl to sit out and rest for a bit.

The rest of the rehearsal passed by uneventfully, with only a few minor errors here and there; Madame was satisfied and released the girls for the day.

The dark-haired ballerina gracefully adjusted her skirts and departed from the practice room. Madame Giry saw a gleaming, white half-mask for only a moment before the ghostly figure faded away, becoming no more than a shadow in the dark.

The ticking hands of her silver watch acted as a sentinel of forewarning to Madame Giry. It was time for the Angel of the Opera to come to Christine.

**As usual, my sweet Christine arrived at the chapel at the appointed time for her lesson. On her delicate footsteps she approached into the center of the stone floor.**

"**Erik, are you there?"**

"**Of course I am, my dear," I threw my voice to her ears from where I was concealed in shadows.**

**She gave a charming smile and responded, "Erik… Show yourself to me, please, no more hiding from me."**

**I'd spent my whole life having the innate desire to hide myself from others. Who would want to have to gaze upon my repulsive self anyway?**

**Tentatively, I stepped out from where I had been standing unseen and into the soft glow of the room. **

**My angel took a few steps closer to where I stood, her nearness making my heart race.**

**Trying to remain in control over the situation, I started, "Well then, shall we begin?"**

**She warmed up and practiced some principal exercises, her voice ringing perfectly against the walls of the chapel. Oh, how her radiant voice lifted my soul up to the heavens! **

"**Was that good?"**

"**It was splendid, my dear," I praised, "Now that your voice is warmed up, I'd like you to sing an aria."**

**She smiled and inquired, "There are many arias, which one would you like for me to sing?"**

"**I want you to sing Marguerite's aria from **_**Faust, 'La Chanson de Bijou'.**_**"**

"**That's such a beautiful song… I will try and sing my best for you."**

**She stood up straight and inhaled a low, deep breath before she began:**__

"_**Ah! Je ris de me voir  
si belle en ce miroir,  
Ah! Je ris de me voir  
si belle en ce miroir,  
Est-ce toi, Marguerite,  
Est-ce toi?  
Réponds-moi, réponds-moi,  
Réponds, réponds, réponds vite!  
Non! Non! Ce n'est plus toi!  
Non...non,  
Ce n'est plus ton visage;  
C'est la fille d'un roi;  
C'est la fille d'un roi!  
Ce n'est plus toi,  
Ce n'est plus toi,  
C'est la fille d'un roi;  
Qu'on salut au passage!  
Ah s'il était ici!  
S'il me voyait ainsi!  
Comme une demoiselle  
Il me trouverait belle, Ah!  
Comme une demoiselle,  
Il me trouverait belle,  
Comme une demoiselle,  
Il me trouverait belle!  
Marguerite, Ce n'est plus toi!  
Ce n'est plus ton visage;**__**  
**__**La, ce n'est plus ton visage;**_

_**Qu'on salut au passage!" **_

**Her song faded and left me in awe, gazing upon her perfection and savoring the last resplendent, hushed tones that echoed through the air. Of all the ugliness that has consumed my life, she was the one spot of diamond shimmering in my darkness.**


	6. Dark Nightmares

**Here we go—chapter 6! Oh yeah! I still don't own Phantom…**

"_That was simply heavenly, Christine. I've never heard an aria sung so beautifully."_

_My face flushed in modesty. Erik always gushed over my singing. I didn't think my voice was _that _great. I felt quite honored that he found my voice heavenly. That was quite a compliment considering how magnificent his own voice was._

"_Well, that's about all I have for tonight's lesson, Christine. I bid you goodnight." He then turned to take leave, but I clutched onto his sleeve before he could depart._

"_Wait, please don't leave just yet, Erik…" He turned back to face me, his half-exposed face entirely unreadable… That was one of his qualities that I had become aware of… He kept his emotions under a veil of false audacity and cool indifference when I knew that his heart shattered with every cruelty the world has delivered upon him… I know, I have seen him wallow in self-pity, curse himself, weep uncontrollably…_

"_Erik… I realized that I don't know your last name."_

_He seemed mildly taken back by my question, "… I haven't used my surname in over twenty years, but it's Destler."_

"_Destler… that's a peculiar name. I like it, though... Erik Destler…"_

_He gave me a gentle smile. I loved it when I made him smile. He looked so attractive when he smiled and _I _made him smile… I made him happy and I know that he hasn't experienced much joy in his dismal existence._

"_Well, Monsieur Destler, would you honor me with a trip to the Bois de Boulogne tomorrow after rehearsals?"_

_A look of dread came across his features. _

"_If you don't want to, Erik, I understand…"_

"_No, no, it's not that I don't _want _to, Christine. I just… I don't feel very comfortable in crowded places… Plus, would you not feel ashamed to be seen with me? People will always gawk and snicker at me, you know."_

_Approaching my teacher, I rested my hand upon his shoulder, "Erik, I wouldn't feel embarrassed at all and like I said before, there are some very remote parts of the park, no one would even notice you."_

_A feeble grin stretched across his face as he said very softly, "I suppose I cannot deny you anything, my angel. I will go to the Bois tomorrow with you then."_

_Although I could not fathom the fact that Erik was going to go out in public with me, as I had been expecting my offer to be declined, I was ecstatic that he acquiesced._

_He continued, this time more audibly, "I shall perhaps meet you here at 3 o'clock?"_

"_That would be just fine. Of course, I'll need to be back by 6 o'clock so I can prepare for tomorrow's performance."_

"_I will be watching, as usual. But, as of now, I think you must be getting to bed, don't you think, my dear?"_

_I nodded in agreement, "I hope you sleep well, Erik. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow afternoon."_

_He courteously bid me goodnight as well before he vanished into the shadows…._

**I descend down my multitude of secret passageways until I reached my boat drifting in the stagnant waters. I hopped in and seized the oars, thinking that perhaps my pathetic excuse for a life was getting better. Perhaps someone up there had decided that I was long past due to possess some amount of joy in my life. Though, I was afraid to hope. One thing I had learned in all my years of sheer misery was that hoping always led to more hurting. It was easier to bear the cruelties of society if I expected nothing more than pain and suffering. Hope for me was like a glass on a wobbly shelf, it was much too easy to knock down and shatter into a million tiny pieces… As simple as it could break, it was extremely complicated to pick up all the little pieces of fragile glass and almost impossible to piece that hope back together again once it was broken.**

**My thoughts were interrupted as I reached the opposite shore of the lake and hopped onto the cold stone floor of my home and threw my cloak over a nearby chair. I made my way across the floor to one of my most cherished possessions. Sitting myself down on the organ's bench, I shuffled through stacks upon stacks of various complete and in progress melodies. Deciding that I wished to play something new, I set the loose papers aside and poised my gloved fingers over the much used keys. **

**Closing my eyes, I listened to the lush music in the back of my head, letting myself be consumed in my own harmonious world of sweet music. I didn't see or think in that world. Only heard and felt. The notes that gracefully wound melodies in my mind simply exited through my skillful fingertips and sounded out of the instrument. Music was something I felt, not heard. And I knew that my sweet Christine felt the same way. I could tell from the moment I first heard her sing that she sang from her heart and soul. **

**As my thoughts turned to Christine, so did my music change. What had started out as a song of hopeful joy turned into a breathtaking, passionate plea of love.**

**As the last notes faded and echoed out, so did I break out of my musical trance. Realizing then that what I had thought to be no more than half an hour, turned out to be perhaps three or four hours. This did not surprise me, as I often times did play like this into the early hours of the morning. It was easy to get lost in my music and I didn't need much sleep. Why would I? After all, rest for me was not very rejuvenating –only plagued with nightmares… Playing my music was a much more effective way to unwind and revitalize at nighttime.**

**Of course, I needed to rest occasionally and considering that I have and outing tomorrow afternoon with Christine, I probably should try to sleep even if it's just for a few hours.**

**I closed my music room door and headed to the alcove where my magnificent swan bed resided. I opened the large, carved oak wardrobe in the corner of my bedchamber and changed into my nightclothes. I took off my mask and wig before lying down amongst the velvety sheets…….**

**I was walking down a dirt trail in a lush park. It was bright, the sun high in the sky. Christine was strolling beside me. I looked down at her beautiful face and she gave me the most radiant smile… We continued on our way until reaching a small lake, and then Christine was gone… I called out her name again and again with no response… The sky turned black as midnight and it began to pour. Just then, I heard a scream. I turned around to see Christine looking at me in horror. I approached her and she backed away farther and farther, vanishing into the downpour which became heavier and heavier… My ears then perceived the sound of a million voices laughing. I was now drowning in the lake and there were people all around the banks of the water watching me suffocate. They laughed and pointed.**

"**What a freak, how disgusting!"**

"_**It's **_**monstrous… creatures like that don't deserve to live…"**

"**Things that vile belong in a cage!"**

**Instinctively, my hand shot up to my right cheek—I had no mask on! Oh god! **

**The bystanders continued to laugh and point and I continued to drowned, the laughing voices seemingly closing in upon me… I saw gypsies among the taunting crowd and felt stinging like that of a whip against by ever so cold body… And I saw my mother… standing in the crowd, as beautiful as always... She sneered at me in disgust and revulsion, turned around and disappeared into the multitude… I saw Christine with Raoul, hand in hand, laughing at me as well. I wanted to reach out to her, but I couldn't move… I felt as if I was bound in a cage… Christine! I screamed for her to save me. She was the only one that could—everyone else had vanished, yet their laughter remained in my head… Please, Christine… I continued to sink down, Christine's face fading as I sunk into complete blackness…….**

**I woke in a fevered sweat, panting and slowly coming to the realization that I wasn't drowning—I was in my bedroom, completely alone, as usual. I shot up and headed into my bathroom, turned on the faucet, and splashed cold water on my twisted face. My gaze met with the mirror as I dried my face roughly with a nearby towel. Oh God, I was hideous… I looked even worse after rubbing the sensitive skin on my face so harshly with the towel… Maybe someone, **_**something **_**like me deserves nothing more than to be beaten and caged like an animal. And I had a date with Christine tomorrow… I'd be walking amongst so many gawking people… **_**People…**_** A creature like me didn't deserve to walk among men… I especially didn't deserve to walk next to Christine; demons shouldn't walk with angels…**

**I needed to call off my date with Christine. I rushed over to my nightstand to retrieve my mask and wig, putting them on quickly and precisely with experience. **

**I scarcely remembered the trip up to Christine's room, being so familiar with the passageways. I made my way up to the two-sided mirror which separated Christine from me. She was nestled under her bed sheets, sleeping ever so peacefully. Oh, how beautiful she was sleeping…**

"**Christine…" I made my voice drift to her ears. Although my call was no more than a whisper in the night, she heard me and sat up in bed.**

"**Erik, is that you?" she called out in the honey-sweet tones of her voice.**

**I slid the mirror open and stepped out, but didn't dare approach her… I'd let her come to me if she wished to.**

**She stood and lit a candle on her bedside table. **

"**Erik, it **_**is **_**you," she quickly closed the distance that lay between us, "What are you doing here this early in the morning?"**

**I found it difficult to form words at first, as my heart didn't want to break my date with the love of my life, but my mind told me it was for the best.**

"**I am sorry, Christine, I cannot go to the Bois with you tomorrow."**

**She placed her soft hand over my unmasked cheek.**

"**Erik… you're sweaty… what's wrong?"**

**I couldn't meet her worrying gaze—I didn't deserve her concern.**

"**Erik, please, tell me what's wrong." She gentle turned my head to look at me.**

"**I had a nightmare…," I said very quietly, almost to myself. I then spoke more audibly saying, "Well, that doesn't really matter, I just don't feel that it's a very good idea for me to go with you."**

**She walked me across the room and sat down on her bed covers, then signaled for me to do the same. **

"**Erik, whatever happened in your nightmare shouldn't worry you."**

**I sighed, "Christine, like I said previously today, people will never stop ridiculing me."**

**She rested her hand over mine and gave it a light squeeze, "Even if they do tomorrow, I promise you that I will be there by your side the entire time."**

**I remembered my nightmare and the image of Christine vanishing as I sunk into the dark oblivion burned into my mind…**

"**You went off and left me alone in my dream."**

**Half a smile appeared on her face and she turned to me and said, "That was just a dream and nothing more, I would never do that in real life." **

**She truly was a saint… My sweet Christine…**

"**So, will you change your mind about accompanying me tomorrow, Erik?"**

**She looked up at me, hope evident in her deep brown eyes. Tentatively, I nodded my head in assent.**

**Her face brightened and she smiled at me, "Wonderful, now you should go back to bed and rest up for tomorrow, you look exhausted."**

**And I was. In the past couple of days, I can't have gotten any more than six hours of sleep in total… but how could I sleep when it seemed much easier to stay awake where my nightmares couldn't run wild…?**

**Christine looked like she could read my thoughts and her next statement confirmed it, "Erik… are you afraid?"**

**Afraid? No man was ever willing to admit feeling fear, though I did feel that emotion on a frequent basis even if I didn't show it.**

**Getting no response out of me, she said in a hushed and enticing voice, "Would you like to stay here with me tonight?" She patted the covers on her empty bed.**

**Christine was offering to let me sleep next to her? This must still be a dream, just waiting for me to get lured into a false sense of hope and then tearing it all away and finding myself waking up in my bedroom, completely alone…**

"**I… Are you sure?"**

**She nodded and blew out the flickering candle on her nightstand. She stretched her arms out, yawned, and snuggled under her quilt, then lifted the woven material up to let me under.**

**I hesitated, but eventually acquiesced and crawl under the quilt next to her.**

"**Goodnight, Erik." She said just before closing her eyes and drifting off.**

"**Sleep well, mon ange."**

**Oh, she was picturesque lying there, fast asleep. She was the epitome of perfection.**

**The gentle, rhythmic sounds of her breathing were so incredibly tranquil and the quiet stillness of the room eased my previous anxiety.**

**Not being able to help myself, I gently brushed my hand against her soft cheek. She stirred ever so slightly and I quickly drew back my hand.**

**As countless, silent minutes passed by, my eyelids grew more and more heavy and I soon found it quite impossible to stay conscious any longer. Before long, I felt the soothing grasp of slumber come over me… This time though, I was not haunted by nightmares…**

_Several rays of crisp, golden sunlight shone through the glass of my window, telling my body it was morning. As my eyes fluttered open to take in their first sight of the day, I remembered what had transpired last night with Erik. Immediately, I rolled over, hoping to find Erik beside me… There was no one there, just an empty space on one side of the bed. Had I dreamt the entire thing? My eyes scanning the room, searching for any sign of my Angel, but no one was there. It was then that I caught sight of the bright red object laying delicately on my nightstand near a burnt out candle. I smiled as I picked up the single red rose tied with black ribbon, holding it close to my heart._

_*************************************************************************************_**I would like to say a big thank you to Eriksangelofmusic4ever for helping me get over my dreadful writer's block and finish this chapter!**

**I'll write more in the next few days!**


	7. The Bois de Boulogne

**Okay, onward with the story!**

**I don't own Phantom….**

CHRISTINE'S POV

"_Christine… Christine? There you are!" Without asking, Meg burst into the room. Before I could conceal it, she noticed the rose in my hand. "Oh, Christine!" she squealed in delight, "I didn't know you had an _admirer! _So, who's it from?"_

_Although she's my closest friend, I couldn't deny that Meg was a bit… intrusive. _

"_Oh, I don't know who it's from," I lied. As much as I hated lying to her, I knew that if I told her the honest truth, rumors would more than likely spread across the whole theatre like wildfire. It wasn't Meg's fault, she just couldn't keep her mouth shut when she knew a secret._

_She looked quite disappointed, but immediately changed the subject, yet another one of her talents._

"_So anyways, I came in here to tell you that Sophia, Cosette, Arabelle, and I are going to head to the Café du Opéra after rehearsals today and have some lunch. Would you like to come along?"_

"_I… I actually have other plans for today, Meg."_

"_Other plans? You never have 'other plans'!"_

_That was true, I didn't leave the Opera House very often. I hardly had any friends and the Giry's were the closest I had to family. Where would I even go outside the opera?_

"_I know! You have a date with your secret admirer, don't you!" Meg was restless with excitement, "Who is he, Christine! Tell me!"_

_I decided to tell her only partially the truth, "I'm not going on a date with anyone. I am only planning on going for a little stroll in the Bois* with my teacher."_

_Meg was not satisfied with just that, "Christine, when can I meet this tutor of yours? Stop being so secretive and tell me who he is!"_

_If there was one thing Meg couldn't stand, it was secrets. At least, she hated when she didn't know the secret… _

_As close as Meg and I were, I really could not confide any secrets with her. She'd spill it all this afternoon at the café if I told her._

"_Meg… I'm sorry, my teacher likes his privacy."_

_Meg pouted and just when she opened her mouth to speak, her mother entered the room._

"_Meg Giry! Quit pestering Christine!"_

_Meekly, the blonde girl squeaked, "But Maman*, I was just—"_

"_No buts, young lady, come along and practice your exercises."_

"_But it's so early in the morning!"_

"_Great dancers practice, Meg, and had I not just said 'no buts'?"_

_Meg sighed and got up off the bed with no more than a 'Yes, Maman'._

_I felt quite relieved as I heard Madame Giry berating her daughter about not being such a nuisance to me. I knew then and there that Meg wouldn't speak another word about the identity of my teacher ever again. A warning from her mother was all it took for Meg to obey. I'm certain that I shall never meet anyone with quite the same supreme authority as Madame Giry. Everyone at the Opéra Populaire knew better than to challenge her authority._

_The rest of the morning passed by uneventfully, I got dressed, ate, went to rehearsals, and so forth. After rehearsals, I returned to my dressing room and walked over to my wardrobe to decide what I should wear for my rendezvous with Erik. It was 2:15 so I had about 45 minutes to get ready before Erik came to get me._

_I didn't own many dresses. How could I when all I had for spending money was the meager salary I earned from performing as a Corps de Ballet member? I did not mind though, it wasn't like I had ever been accustomed to being spoiled in luxury. Plus, I like the independent feel of making my living by myself._

_Eventually, I put on a lacey, blue day dress and a simple pair of short, white gloves. It was awfully sunny today so I donned a hat which matched the dress. I looked in the mirror and made a few adjustments until I found myself to be presentable._

_I locked my dressing room door, tucked the key in my reticule, and headed off for the chapel._

_Erik was there, just as he said he would be. It was odd seeing him in more casual attire though… Normally, he was always immaculately dressed in evening clothes. Although the 3-piece suit he wore was casual, there was no doubt about it that it looked expensive._

"_Good afternoon, Monsieur Destler."_

_*************************************************************************************_ERIK'S POV

**The sun's rays poured through the stained glass of the chapel window. Everything was quiet and still. I pulled out my gold pocket watch—it was about 5 minutes to 3… **

**I still felt exceedingly uneasy over leaving the security of the Opera House and walking outside in broad daylight… Even though it wasn't plausible that anything in my dream would actually happen in real life, I knew people would stare. People would never stop staring. I couldn't understand why Christine wasn't hesitant to be seen in public with me. Tomorrow in **_**L'Epoque* **_**there would more than likely be a headline reading something like "Rising Singing Star, Christine Daae, Spotted With Strange Masked Man In The Bois." **

**I stood there, nervously beating a tempo with my shoe against the floor. It seems to be a habit of mine to unconsciously beat time… **

**I took out my pocket watch once more. It read 2:58. Good, she should be here soon. If I waited any longer, I might change my mind about going. **

**I turned around when I heard a familiar voice, "Good morning, Monsieur Destler."**

**How she looked positively radiant! Her dress fit her perfectly and the color was beautiful on her. **

"**You look lovely, Christine." **

**She blushed a brilliant pink at my words. **

"**Shall we?" she said and put her arm out. **

**She actually wanted me to take her by the arm? I've seen elegant gentlemen escorting their ladies by the arm before, because it was the chivalrous thing for a man to do. But I never thought Christine would want such contact with me.**

**I took her by the arm and led her out the chapel door and we exited the Opera House through the back entrance, at my request.**

**I took in a deep breath just before we stepped out onto the busy sidewalks. Christine must have sensed my hesitance, because she gave my arm, which she was still holding on to, a little reassuring squeeze.**

**As much as I tried to focus only on Christine, I couldn't help but notice the prying eyes of the crowd.**

**I stopped to flag down a carriage even though Christine insisted that she'd be fine with walking. I didn't want my angel to have to trudge all the way to the park on this hot day.**

**Eventually, I was able to get a carriage to stop for me. That was one lesson I've learned over the years—people aren't usually willing to assist or stop what they're doing for a strange masked man. **

**I helped Christine into the carriage, paid the driver a few francs, got in myself, and told the driver our destination. **

**The traffic wasn't bad and we arrived at the Bois de Boulogne within a half hour. The park was quite picturesque, actually. Of course, this wasn't my first time here, like any Parisian, I've been to the famous park before, just not during the day like everyone else. But how the park shined in splendor during the day! It was as if Mother Nature made certain that this day be beautiful for Christine and me. **

**Christine wrapped her delicate, white arm around mine once more as we entered the huge park. We walked through the grass into a cluster of shady, umbrella-like trees near a small pond. Christine stopped near the pond… Flashes of my nightmares swarmed like threatened bees around my mind. I backed away from the water's edge.**

**Christine turned around and looked at me in confusion, "Erik… what's wrong?"**

**I realized then that I probably looked like a complete fool.**

"**I… nothing, nothing is wrong."**

**I returned to Christine's side and tried to clear my head of any ridiculous thoughts that brought my dream to reality. **

**Christine gave me a pleasant smile and said, "I stopped here because this is one of my favorite places in the park… It' so peaceful and quiet. Sometimes I just need to get away from all the hustle and bustle of the Opera House… I can't seem to get a moment to myself there." She paused and extracted an old piece of baguette from her reticule, "Plus, there's always ducks in this pond to feed."**

**She tore a chunk off of the stale bread and threw it to a plump mother duck and her ducklings. The ravenous waterfowl immediately swarmed around the bit of food that floated in the water. One particularly plump duckling got to it first and swallowed it whole. Christine giggled at this.**

"**What's so funny?" I inquired.**

"**Oh, it's just that duckling… The plump one," she pointed, "Reminds me of Signor Piangi. Though somehow, I doubt he'd eat anything you'd throw at him." She giggled again. I smiled at her joyfulness. **

**Every time I was near Christine I felt more jovial and less and less forlorn. Being around her changed my pessimistic view of life, she made me feel alive and whole. **

**I let Christine take her time and fuss over the fuzzy, little ducklings floating behind their mother in a neat row. I even participated a bit in feeding the baby birds… I always did like animals. Animals never fled from the horror of my gruesome appearance.**

**Christine turned to me and said, "How about we go over to the Jardin des Serres d'Auteuil? Meg and I had gone there last summer and it was lovely."**

**That was one place in the park I'd never been to. The botanical garden was always locked up tight at night so no one would try to steal any of the exotic plants. I suppose I could have fairly easily broken in, but it didn't really seem worth the bother to break into a greenhouse just to look at a few plants. **

**I silently agreed to Christine's idea and we walked for about five minutes until we reached several large, glass greenhouses. We walked inside the closest one and were immediately bombarded with a multitude of fragrances.**

**Not many people were in the glass building, but the few that were stared at me like a hawk would its prey. Christine made an attempt to divert my attention from this by pointing out a patch of violet flowers crowded by masses of soft petals. **

"**They're pretty aren't they?" Christine asked.**

"**They are Rhododendron… they reside in mostly dry environments in the Northern Hemisphere." **

**Christine gave me a surprised look and said half- kiddingly, "Erik, I had no idea that you were a botanist!"**

**I smiled and replied, "I'm not, I just am quite familiar in many subjects and I never forget anything no matter how trivial the information is."**

"**Do you know what those are?" she asked pointing to some smaller, lavender flowers.**

"**Saintpaulia, commonly known as African Violets."**

**She seemed duly impressed and pointed to a large dark green, stalk-like plant.**

"**What's that one?"**

"**That… I don't know. I don't really spend excessive amounts of time studying things like flowers… I only know what I've read from books that I encountered in the Opera library in my younger years… There's a book on almost every subject imaginable in that library… It was one of my favorite places to explore as a child—I read just about every book on those shelves." **

**We looked through the rest of the garden and returned back outside. Everything had been going so well so far with Christine today. For once, things seemed to be going in my favor. **

**We were heading toward a large, marble fountain near a nest of trees when suddenly, I felt a sting of something hard hit my face… Someone had thrown a fist-sized rock at me… The stone was hurled so hard that my mask fell from my face. Immediately, I covered my face with my hands and searched frantically for my mask… I couldn't find it.**

**Christine worriedly said, "Erik, are you okay?"**

**We both turned around when we heard brazen laugher. There was a crude, young ruffian walking towards us in a haughty manner and holding my mask. **

"**Serves ya right," he chuckled and waved my mask in the air like some sort of victory flag, "Who the hell wears a mask 'round town?"**

**Christine looked up at me, grabbed my hand, and stated, "Let's leave." **

**I turned to follow her, ready to forget my mask, as I had many others back home, but before long I felt another sharp pain, this time against my back.**

**The ruffian approached us again.**

"**Freaks a' nature shouldn't be wanderin' around, actin' like us people," the crude young man turned his attention to Christine, "An' you's shouldn't be hangin' aroun' with this son of a bitch. How's 'bout comin' along with me? I could take you's out to the bar, or somethin', you look like you'd make a pretty sweet girlfriend."**

**Christine backed away in revulsion from the unsophisticated young man.**

"**I will never, ever go anywhere with someone like you. Especially after you hurt Erik."**

**The young man laughed sickeningly once again, this time, I could smell the alcohol on his breath, "So, the monster has a name does 'e now?"**

"**How dare you call Erik a monster! I demand that you return his mask this instant!" **

"**Oh, you're quite the lady, huh? What? You's ain't gonna say please too?"**

**Before the boy could laugh again, Christine violently pried my mask from the boy's grubby hand. The boy obviously was too slow to react to this, more than likely because of how intoxicated he was.**

**While the boy, who looked genuinely perplexed as to where the mask had gone, was standing in confusion, Christine and I easily took our leave and headed toward the fountain. Christine handed me my mask and I gratefully put it over my twisted visage.**

"**Thank you," I said as we both sat down, side by side, on the marble ledge of the grand fountain, "You really didn't have to stand up for me… I'm plenty used to hearing hateful comments…"**

**Her hand delicately touched mine as she said, "But you shouldn't have to tolerate that kind of abuse."**

**She was so perfect… I've been around for over thirty years and never before encountered such a flawless woman… Her beauty was unparalleled, her singing was divine, her infinite compassion absolutely astounding… She had grace, poise, talent—everything a man could ever want in a woman.**

"**Christine…" I whispered.**

**She tilted her head ever so slightly to the right and an adorable 'hm?' came from her lips.**

"**I love you so much… You mean absolutely everything to me…"**

**She stared at me, surprised, but not surprised at the same time. I was certain that she'd known before of my feelings for her, how could she not? Though, I believe she was somewhat taken aback by my testimony of undying love. Come to think of it, this was the first time I'd ever told Christine the exact words 'I love you'.**

**Her pink lips parted as she said, "E-Erik, I--"**

**She never finished whatever she was going to say to me as we both heard a familiar voice calling out to Christine. It was that fop of a boy.**

**Damn him! Spoiling my moment with Christine!**

**He rushed forward till he was mere feet from my beloved. The fool was grinning from ear to ear at the sight of Christine, but that smile soon dissipated when he saw me.**

"**Christine," he said, "who is this?"**

**Christine, trying to squeeze proper etiquette into this awkward situation, responded, "Raoul, this is my voice teacher, Erik." She turned to me and added, "Erik, this is Raoul de Chagny."**

**Without the least bit of enthusiasm, the boy dumbly stuck out his hand. I refused to shake it.**

**Seeming aggravated with my refusal, the fop turned to Christine and said, "Well, it looks like you and **_**Erik**_** are essentially done here." Which we weren't, "So how about you accompany me to dinner before you have to return for tonight's opera?"**

"**Raoul, Erik and I were actually going to stay a little longer here."**

**The boy, as if thinking that I was slightly deaf, said quietly to Christine, "Honestly Christine, you should not be around this man… Who wears a mask anyways? You know that I only care about your safety… Come on."**

**He clutched onto Christine's arm and began tearing her away from me.**

"**Raoul, Erik's **_**not **_**a bad person… He'd never hurt me!"**

**The boy turned around and gently held Christine by the shoulders, "Please Christine, you're confused. I've realized that this man has some bizarre control over you. You sing for him like you're some kind of marionette that he can manipulate at will… Whoever this dark seducer is, please, I beg you, leave him behind."**

**That fop dragged my Christine away from me. The last thing I heard from her that afternoon was "I'm sorry, Erik."**

**She had promised that she wouldn't leave my side. She promised and she left me.**

*****************************************************************************************_*The Bois, also called the Bois de Boulogne, is a famous Parisian park. It's about 2 and a half times larger than Central Park in NYC. It would take about half an hour by horse and carriage to get from the Opera Garnier to the park._

_Maman=mama in French_

_Jardin des Serres d'Auteuil is a botanical garden in the Bois that has been around for ages. Jardin des Serres d'Auteuil means the Greenhouse Garden of Auteuil (Auteuil being a section of Paris).*_

**Let me know what you think so far!**


	8. Broken Promises and Forgiveness

**Hello, people of ! I'm sorry that I have not updated in over a week—I've been busy… Well, here it goes! On with chapter 8!**

********************************************************************************Erik's POV**

**I sat there for God knows how long on the edge of the fountain, not believing that my Christine had been taken from me so quickly. She left me. She promised she wouldn't and she let herself be dragged off by that **_**boy! **_**Damn that boy to Hell for stealing my Christine from me! The nerve of him to waltz right into the picture just when I finally believed I had my sweet Christine! It's not Christine's fault. No, I don't blame her, she does not possess the audacity to stand up to that boy. Yes, this is all the boy's fault. Curse him for being rich and handsome! Why was I cursed with this horrendous visage? What had I done to deserve my cursed face? **

**How could I have been so blind as to actually believe for a moment that Christine might actually love me? Why would she choose this hideous corpse when she could have any handsome man on this pitiless earth? **

**I pounded my gloved fist down against the cold stone over and over until my hand dripped with crimson blood. Several people passed by, shooting curious glances in my direction. Why wouldn't they want to gawk at the hideous freak? No, I don't deserve to exist in this glorious world of light and life. This world is for people like Christine and Raoul—people who don't need to hide their faces from the garish rays of the sunlight. No, I can only dwell in the black, lonely abyss of night. **

**With burning tears trickling down my face, I vanished like a specter and returned as quickly as my feet would carry me back down to my self-inflicted Hell beneath the Opera House.**

**Christine's POV**

_Raoul took me to a small corner café near the Rue de Michelle. We sat down at a quiet, outdoor table and, of course, we got immediate service—what else would I expect when being in the company of the Vicounte de Chagny? Raoul reached over and gently placed his large hand over my small one. _

"_There now, don't you feel better being away from that man?" he said._

_I was still displeased with Raoul's conduct around Erik earlier and was about to reprimand him but then what Raoul said next quelled my rage._

"_So, Little Lotte, let's talk about those good old days back in Perros at the house by the sea," he said in honey-sweet tones. _

_Finally, he did not want to talk about now. He wanted to talk about the days long past, those days when life was sweet and simple. Those days when father was still living. I enjoy talking about the past. If I talk about the past, I feel like I can grasp onto it and never let it go by. Not to let it go. Not to let Papa go…_

_Raoul and I talked and laughed and reminisced for hours in that little café. Our reunion was cut short when I noticed the time, "Oh, it's nearly time for tonight's performance of _Hannibal—_I have to be getting back to the Populaire."_

_Raoul signaled for the waiter to bring over the bill._

"_Are you playing Elissa again tonight?"_

"_Oh, no. After my debut the other night, Carlotta suddenly decided to come back," I explained and then added in sarcastically, "I wonder why…"_

"_Nevertheless, we need to get you back to the Opera in time. I insist that you let me take you back in my carriage."_

_And he did just that. The de Chagny carriage was extremely pretentious—from the soft velvet-lined interior to the immaculately polished black exterior. The horses were obviously well trained and got us to our destination very quickly and smoothly._

_We stood now at the door of my dressing room._

"_Well, here we are, Little Lotte," he said._

"_Yes, thank you very much, Raoul. I don't think I would have made it here on time without your help… And I had fun this afternoon. I have missed you, Raoul. It had seemed like forever since we spent time together like that."_

"_I enjoyed myself as well and I shall be at the performance tonight, looking for you in the Corps du Ballet," he smiled at me and stepped closer, "I wish you luck tonight, Little Lotte."_

_With that said, he kissed me chastely upon the lips and departed. I blushed and immediately retreated into my dressing room to get into costume._

…

_I returned to my chambers after the show and changed into my favorite lacey, white dressing gown. After which, I wiped off my stage makeup and brushed out my hair._

_The performance had gone very well and Carlotta was pleased that she had gotten her limelight back._

_I casually glanced over to the full-sized mirror on my wall and thought of poor Erik. I had broken my promise to him. I left him._

_I stared for only a moment or two at the reflective glass before resolving to make my way down to my Angel's world for the first time unescorted. I needed to talk to him. I fiddled with the sides of the mirror for several minutes, pressing and pulling at the frame until I heard a barely audible click and then I was able to push the glass aside like a sliding door. _

_I picked up a couple of candlesticks, lighting one and tucking the unlit one in the pocket of my gown. I stepped into the long hallway before me and shut the mirror door. Slowly, I made my way down the dark hall, screaming every time a big rat would run across my path._

_I descended down deeper and deeper and it got colder and colder and darker and darker with each step I took. Finally, after twenty minutes of only half-knowing where I was going, I made it to the edge of the vast, glassy lake. Thankful, Erik's gondola was there and not on the other side of the lake… I certainly wouldn't have tried to swim across; I've never been a very strong swimmer…_

_I cautiously stepped into the gondola and grasped the pole. It was much harder than I thought it would be to get the boat to move in the direction you wanted it to go. After a while, I kind of got the hang of it and was able to steer a little more smoothly._

_I reached the gate and thankful, the gate was open so I rowed right in and tied the boat to the shore when I stepped onto the stone floor._

_I looked about in awe—Erik's home was even more magnificent than I remembered. It was a realm dedicated to music and beauty and art. Even common items you would find in any house Erik made beautiful by carving precise, ornate designs into them… He used tables, chairs, even candleholders as canvases for his art._

_Breaking out of my trance-like state of mind, I perceived the sound of someone crying. Weeping uncontrollably would be a better way to express it. Spread out sporadically throughout the cries came screams of anguish, sound more like someone physically hurting rather than emotionally. Of course, I knew it was Erik crying. Who else would be down here?_

_I proceeded to walk in the direction that I heard the sound coming from. I found a familiar figure clad in black sitting on his organ bench with his back turned to me and his face in his hands. It was Erik. _

_As I approached him I noticed something odd… There was bright crimson blood seeping out between his fingers and pooling on the organ keys in front of him. This worried me._

"_Erik!" I called out and ran toward my teacher and friend. I rested both my hands on his heaving shoulders asking him, "Erik… What happened?"_

_After a long pause he dropped his crimson hands from his face and turned to me. He had no mask on and the skin of his deformity had been torn and scratched off to just a bloody mess of pink, undeveloped flesh… Any deeper and I swear you would have been able to see the bone under his skin…_

_It was then that I came to the horrific realization that Erik had done this to himself!_

"_Erik… Why?"_

_He turned to me with just as much rage and fury as the night I saw his face for the first time._

"_Why? WHY? What does it matter, it's not like this demon's face could get any worse! I might as well punish myself for being so damn ugly! It _hurts _Christine! My face is always very sensitive—my mask irritates my skin enough as it is! Yes, ripping my face open is a very effective punishment, don't you think?" His hand shot out like a snake ready to attack and seized my hand. He then plunged my fingernails into his flesh causing more skin to tear off in sheets. He laughed a hideous laugh while I cried out. He let go of my hand, "Why shouldn't you hurt me? I deserve it don't I? After all, you've already hurt my heart beyond repair... You're quite the actress, Christine Daae! Pretending to care about a ghastly beast like me! Well, my heart can't take anymore of your games of make believe Christine! Get the Hell out of here, you little vixen!"_

_I had never felt so terrified in my entire life! I screamed and I ran like a frightened rabbit out of the music room and took the stone steps down to the edge of the water practically three at a time. This was a big mistake for I tripped halfway down the steps. At first I thought I was unharmed until I stood up only to fall back over again. My left ankle was in utter agony! This was the worst pain I've ever been in! I was scared and in horrible pain—I was beyond upset to the point of hysteria. I cried out, wailing in pain. Immediately, Erik was at my side. I was ready to scream in fear and push him away until I looked up into his emerald eyes… They were no longer filled with rage… Only great concern, remorse, and full of pure love and adoration. _

_I let him scoop me up into his arms and carry me to his swan bed. He laid me down on the soft sheets and instructed me not to move my ankle. I laid my head back on the pillows and focused on the ceiling whilst breathing deeply… I had begun to feel lightheaded from the distress I was in earlier and I just knew that my ankle was broken. _

_With gentle and deft fingers he carefully pressed down on various points of my injured ankle. He mumbled several things to himself and left the room. He returned promptly with a small box filled with various medical supplies. From the box he produced a small syringe full of a pale substance. He stuck the needle into the side of my leg and I gave a slight yelp. _

_He looked up at me and smiled as if slightly amused, "Relax, my dear, that was only a pain reliever." I was amazed at how quickly his mood had changed—he went from calling me a little vixen to calling me dear._

"_Is… Is it broken?" I asked, dreading the answer. Being told your ankle's broken is awful news for a ballerina._

_He laughed, but this time it was a pleasant laugh, not the unsetting one like before._

"_Oh no, my dear," he said, "If your ankle was broken, you'd be in a lot more pain than you are right now—it's only a sprain and should heal fairly quickly."_

_I sighed in relieve and once again laid my head back onto the velvet pillows. Erik began to snuggly bind my ankle and elevated it with a soft pillow._

_After a moment of two, Erik walked over and sat next to where I laid. _

_He looked down in shame, "I… I am so sorry, Christine," he choked out and cried, "And I don't deserve any forgiveness. It's my fault you're hurt… Everything's my fault…"_

_I was not prepared for Erik to apologize to me so soon and I wasn't prepared to give him my forgiveness yet._

_He continued, "I'll do anything to make it up to you. Anything."_

_I thought about it, looking down at the contrite man before me._

"_Well, first of all, Erik, you need to take care of your face," I said pointing to the box of medical supplies. He stood and nodded, taking the box with him into the bathroom._

_He emerged about ten minutes later with bandages carefully covering the injury._

"_What do you want me to do now, Christine?" he said in a subservient tone which was rare for him._

"_You own a violin, right?" I asked. _

_He nodded._

"_Do you know any Swedish songs you could play for me?"_

_He reflected on this for a moment and then said, "Yes, actually, I believe I do know a Scandinavian song…'__Vals Fran Silijansnas och Rattvik' … Are you familiar with it?"_

_Indeed I was, Papa always loved that piece… I never had been able to decipher whether the message of the tune was joyful or full of woe…_

"_I do know that one, actually… Could you play it?"_

_He nodded, left the room, and came back with violin in hand._

_He tucked the instrument under his chin and with great skill, he began to play the first few slow, long notes of the piece. As the song progressed, getting more and more complex, I drifted deeper and deeper into the past. I remembered the day I first arrived at the cottage on the seaside… I remembered a little boy, soaked to the skin, smiling from ear to ear at me, handing me a soggy, red scarf… I remembered all those nights of sitting at my father's side singing while he played away gently on his violin…_

_Erik played every instrument known to mankind absolutely beautifully, but I loved it most when he played the violin for me. He played just like my father used to play. That's what Little Lotte would love to hear the most—her dear Papa playing on the violin… Even if for just one last time…_

_He also seemed to be begging forgiveness through the music… And somehow, I gave it to him… No, I didn't have to speak a single word, but Erik and I had a bond of incomprehensible understanding and a spiritual bond that could never be shattered._

_The last few notes played out gracefully and Erik placed his violin with care back into its case. _

"_Christine… You are crying, my love."_

_I hadn't even noticed, "Am I?"_

_I wiped the tears from my eyes as he looked at me with concern, "Is it because you're still in pain?"_

"_No, no, I feel much better now, actually… I was just thinking about my father… You play just like he used to… Erik, have you ever heard of a __Spelmansstämma?"_

_He shook his head which somewhat surprised me that there was something he didn't know. _

"_Back in Sweden during the summer, there would be festivals called __Spelmansstämmavon," I explained, "They are music festivals that can go on for days. People dance and sing and musicians from all over come and play for the people… My father and I never missed a Spelmansstämma—he'd play his violin and I would sing for him…"_

_Sing for… There have only been two people in my life that I've ever sung _for_. Yes, I've sung _to _hundreds of people, but I've only sung _for _two people. I had sung for my father, it brought him joy and it pleased me greatly to bring him joy. After my father died, I lost the soul in my voice, but it returned when my Angel of Music first spoke to me. I sung _to _hundreds, but I only sang _for _my father and later, Erik._

_I talked with Erik for a while about my father and life back in Sweden, which helped to take my mind off the slight pain in my ankle, but he did not speak too much. Erik wasn't that much of a conversationalist, which is understandable considering how long he's been living alone underground…_

"_Have you eaten dinner at all this evening, Christine?" he asked. _

_It was then that I realized I had not eaten since the light meal I had with Raoul at the café. I was a bit famished._

"_Well, I am a little hungry…"_

"_What would you like to eat?" he asked._

_I told him that anything was alright, as he knew what I liked and disliked._

_He returned fairly promptly with a bowl of soup and some fancy-looking bread and cheeses. I thanked him and ate gratefully. I think that this was the first time that someone had served me breakfast in bed. It was nice. Erik was telling the truth when he said that he'd do anything to make up for his previous behavior._

"_Does it hurt?" I asked him after my meal._

"_Does what hurt?" he inquired._

"_Your face… you know, after you…"_

_He turned away dejectedly and gave an almost inaudible sigh before he said very quietly, "Yes, but I've been in worse pain before. What really matters is you, my dear, so don't concern yourself with my well-being." _

_Erik frightens me sometimes but I always know that he cares about me more than anything in the world. I was actually quite touched by how much he cared._

"_Well then, sleep well, my dear," he said in his angel's voice._

_I was quite comfortable situated on the velvety cushions of his bed but what about him?_

"_Erik, where are you going to sleep?"_

_He gestured to the other room and said, "I will just rest on the sofa… I really don't mind."_

"_That would be awfully uncomfortable. Why don't you lie down next to me?" My mouth had spoken the words seemingly by their own volition. Why had I asked him that? It seemed highly inappropriate for him to sleep in the same bed with me. And yet I still proposed that he lay with me._

_He looked very hesitant and almost slightly embarrassed. After a few long moments, he laid down as far as he could away from me on the bed. He turned over on his side so that his back was facing me. His hand reached out from underneath the covers and turned the gas lamp on the nightstand off. _

_It was now pitch black and I heard a faint whisper of 'Goodnight, mon ange' just before I drifted off into the sweet caress of slumber._

**You know what you should do now? Review!**


	9. Building Trust

**Ummmmm… Next chapter, that's all I have to say… That, and I still don't own Phantom…**

**Christine's POV**

_I awoke sometime in the early morning hours. At least, I believed it was early in the morning. It was actually quite hard to tell in the darkness of this underground realm…_

_I'd asked him to sleep next to me… Why? I'd done that before. The words just had come out of my mouth without me even wishing for them to… I didn't understand it. Did my heart secretly want him to be beside me? There were so many questions that I did not yet have the answers to._

_I turned on my side to find that I had wrapped my arms around Erik sometime during the night. In embarrassment, I removed my arms gently as not to disturb him. I slowly sat up and hung my legs over the edge of the bed being very wary of my injured ankle._

_I sat there and pondered for a while before my eyes gradually met with the lifeless, still gaze of the monkey figurine upon the barrel organ shaped music box. Idly, I lifted the curious object into my hands and examined it. I wondered where Erik had acquired such a strange music box… Wherever he got it, it seemed to be very important to him for some reason… I set the music box back down in its proper place. I knew that I would never inquire Erik about where the odd trinket came from—it was much more fascinating to not know… Maybe sometimes not knowing was best._

_I heard a groan coming from next to me on the bed. I turned and found Erik restlessly tossing in his sleep. His eyes were clamped shut uncomfortably tight and he was giving slight whimpers in his sleep._

"_No… Please…," he sobbed in his sleep, "…NO!"_

_I had no idea what he was dreaming about, but it was most definitely a nightmare. Very gently, I nudged his shoulder and called his name._

_His eyes fluttered open and stared into my eyes, "Christine…?"_

_I smiled at him, "It's alright, Erik. It was only a dream… What were you dreaming about anyways?"_

_He slowly sat up in bed and sighed. He was slightly turned from me when he said, barely above a whisper, "… Just something that happened a long time ago… Some things are near impossible to ever forget."_

_He turned back around to face me and I gasped as I saw some crimson blood seeping through the bandages on his face._

"_Erik, you're bleeding. Let me take care of that for you… Where did you put the bandages?"_

_He reached up and touched his cheek, finding that there was indeed blood on it._

"_Don't concern yourself, Christine. I will take care of it…" he reached over toward his nightstand and brought out the box of medical supplies I had seen earlier. _

_As he began to open the box, I stopped him and insisted that he let me do it. I removed the soiled bandages from on his face revealing the deformity and took out fresh bandages. It pained me to see that he held his unmasked face low in shame and embarrassment. Lightly, I wiped the blood from his face and swiftly wrapped his damaged skin in the clean bandages._

"_Thank you, Christine," was all he said, but I could tell that the simple, kind gesture meant a lot more to him than he let on._

"_How is your ankle feeling?" he inquired._

"_Oh, somewhat better… It still kind of aches."_

"_That is to be expected, it was a pretty bad sprain… You're quite lucky it did not break."_

_I giggled, "Yes, if I ever did break my ankle and Madame Giry found out, I would be dead… Sophia had broken her leg last summer and Madame didn't give her a scrap of compassion. You should have heard her yell at Sophia and tell her how reckless she was for letting something like that happen… Sometimes Madame expects too much out of me and the other ballerinas. She always tells us how back when she was a young girl, she would practice for hours a day and obey the Ballet Mistress' every word… She always complains about how the youth are so unruly nowadays."_

"_Yes, she can come off as quite the battle ax..."_

"_Don't take my words the wrong way though—Madame Giry is like a mother to me no matter how strict she is sometimes."_

_Erik gave me one of his rare smiles, "She is to me as well. Considering the way my real mother treated me, Madame Giry is probably the closest I've ever had to a mother-figure."_

_For a while, we just sat there on the swan bed, until I inquired as to what time it was. Erik stood and walk across the room to the nearest clock._

"_It's about quarter till nine...Would you like something to eat for breakfast?" he asked._

_I actually was not very hungry, so I shook my head._

"_Would you like some ice then? For your ankle?"_

_My ankle was quite sore, so ice sounded wonderful._

"_Yes, that would be nice," I said as I began to get up out of bed._

_Immediately, Erik was gently pushing me back onto the mattress, "No, my dear. You need rest, you should keep off your feet."_

_It was morning and I was not one to stay in bed all day, "Erik, I don't want to lie here all day. Can't I move somewhere else?"_

_He considered my request and eventually offered, "I suppose, if you wish, I could help you to the library so you would have something to pass the time… I have quite an assortment of books that you may read."_

"_That sounds very nice," I replied._

"_May I have your consent to carry you, my dear?" he asked nervously._

_My ankle was pretty sore… _

"_Alright," I replied._

_Very carefully, he scooped me up into his strong arms and effortlessly carried me to his library._

_The library very magnificent, from the rich mahogany bookshelves to the majestic blue walls and velvet armchairs—it was lovely. The shelves were loaded with beautiful, leather-bound books on every subject imaginable—math and science, poetry books, fantasy, classic and contemporary works, and of course, tons of books on art and music._

_Erik set me down onto one of the plush armchairs and gave me the ice I had wanted for my sore ankle. _

"_I have a few errands to attend to, my dear… I sorry to leave you like this, but I should be back in an hour or so."_

_I really did not want to be left all alone in the house on the lake, but Erik did say he'd be back soon._

_He bid me farewell and left the room. _

_I turned to the book shelf next to me a grabbed a small, blue book titled '__Le Tour du Monde en Quatre-Vingts Jours by Jules Verne' (Around the World in Eighty Days). _

_I'd always loved to read, but never really had the time to at the Opera House. _

_I finished several chapters and set the book aside._

_I felt like reading some poetry, so I rummaged through a few books written by Baudelaire or La Fontaine or Mallarme. I then stumbled upon a small, deep brown book. I flipped through the pages finding most to be blank… It was a notebook. One page had my name written across the top in Erik's neat handwriting… This interested me… I continued reading…_

_Christine_

_My life, my love,_

_Such loveliness before undreamed of._

_How fair is she that glows in radiance like the summer moon,_

_To whom I lost my heart too soon._

_Such beauty beyond compare,_

_Silken locks of hazel hair,_

_Halo her angelic face,_

_Oh, what bliss I find in her gentle embrace._

_Her voice like golden chimes,_

_Sheds a glimpse of light to this hollow heart of mine._

_Angels weep their crystal tears hearing her song,_

_Christine, my dear, to whom my heart belongs._

_My sweet Christine._

_Tears welled up in my eyes and dropped one by one onto the page. I closed the book knowing that my heart couldn't take anymore of this flattering praise. I would have loved to hear the poem in Erik beautiful voice, but I knew I could never ask him to read it to me, as I was quite certain that he never intended for me to see that poem._

_I placed the little book back where I had found it just when I heard the sound of a door open—Erik was back._

_Not wanting to look suspicious, I picked out a book at random, situated myself back on the plush armchair, and pretended to be engrossed in the book I held._

_He entered the room and approached me._

_He looked at me in concern, "Christine… you are crying. What troubles you, my dear?"_

_I had not realized that I still had tears in my eyes from the amorous poem I had read. I could not think of a false reason for my tears._

_Thankfully, Erik saved me from having to give an answer by saying, "Oh, I see that you are reading the libretto to 'Achille et Polyxène'… It does have quite the tragic ending… Is that why you are crying?"_

_I nodded in acquisition and silently thanked the heavens for letting me pick out a book that served as an excuse for my tears._

"_Well, anyhow, I have something for you, my dear."_

_He took out a gorgeous necklace box from his pocket and handed it to me._

"_Think of it as an apology for my unforgivable behavior last night."_

_I carefully opened the box to find the most beautiful necklace I had ever seen before in my life._

_It consisted of three rosettes of sparkling diamond—the largest one in the center and the two smaller ones to the right and left on the white gold chain. In the center of each diamond rosette laid a red ruby cut to look like the sun's rays were bursting within the stones… It was so beautiful! Something like this must have cost a fortune!_

"_Oh, it's lovely!" I threw my arms around him and thanked him over and over again… 'Oh, what bliss I find in her gentle embrace'… I blushed remembering the lines of the poem._

"_You are quite welcome, Christine. But, truthfully, you deserve something better than that… Any amount of jewels would look shabby when put next to your beauty… Sadly, I cannot offer anything great enough for you."_

_He treated me like a goddess! _

"_Of course you can. Your music is a gift worthy of angels."_

_He smiled at me._

_I giggled and added, "But, as a girl, I think diamonds are splendid as well."_

"_Would you like for me to help put it on you?" he said, signaling to my new necklace._

_I nodded and he wrapped the cold metal around my neck. I heard a soft clicking sound as the necklace clasped together._

"_Thank you," I said, "… Do you have a mirror so I can see how the necklace looks?"_

_He looked down at the floor and said soullessly, "I might… somewhere. I will go and try to find you one."_

_He left the room and came back a few minutes later holding an ornate hand mirror. I noted that he kept the reflective surface angled away from himself._

_He handed me the mirror and up close I could see that the mirror was very old._

_I looked at my new accessory in the mirror and gasped at how lovely it looked on. I felt like a queen._

_Erik sat down on the armchair next to me. Even so quietly he said, "That mirror belonged to my mother."_

_It was then that I noticed the fancy 'M' for Madeleine carved onto the back._

_He continued, "When I'd learned that she had died, I returned to my hometown of Boscherville and collected a few of her possessions… That was the only mirror in my childhood home… It stayed in my mother's room, where I was not allowed in… I didn't even know how hideous I was or why I had to wear a mask as a young child because I had never encountered a mirror for the first five years of my life."_

_I looked down at my hands, not knowing what to say._

_He stood slowly from his chair and extended a hand signaling for the mirror. I handed it to him and he walked out of the room with a brief, "Excuse me."_

_I sat there alone, but was soon greeted by the sound of beautiful piano music being played. Beautiful, but sad. _

_I wanted to be able to hear better, so with great care, I stood and hobbled over to the music room trying to put as little weight as I could on my injured ankle._

_I entered the room and sat down on the carpet next to the piano bench. I wasn't even sure if Erik noticed my presence or not, considering how engrossed he seem in his music…_

_The woeful song ended after several tearful minutes and without even opening his eyes, he said to me, "Did you like that song, Christine?"_

_I don't know how he had known I was there without opening his eyes… When playing one of his own pieces, he always seemed to close his eyes, like he was dreaming his own world of music… Even after learning that he was not an angel, some things about him still seemed so magical…_

"_I loved it," I replied, "Are you writing anything new?"_

_Talking about music seemed to make him feel better, "Yes, actually, I am writing an opera called 'Don Juan Triumphant'. I still have much of the final act to complete though…"_

_Hoping to please him, I said, "Could I sing something from your 'Don Juan Triumphant'?"_

"_Of course," he said and brought out an enormous manuscript._

"_There is a duet between Don Juan and Aminta in it called 'Point of No Return'… Would you care to sing it with me?"_

_I nodded and he began to play a dark, lustful melody on the piano._

_His voice bellowed throughout the underground home with perfect pitch and an incredible amount of passion in his voice:_

You have come here in pursuit of your deepest urge,

In pursuit of that wish, which till now has been silent, silent…

I have brought you, that our passions may fuse and merge—

In your mind you've already succumbed to me,

Dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me—

Now you are here with me:

No second thoughts, you've decided, decided…

Past the point of no return—

No backward glances: our games of make-believe are at an end…

Past all thought of "if" or "when"—

No use resisting: abandon thought and let the dream descend…

What raging fire shall flood the soul?

What rich desire unlocks it door?

What sweet seduction lies before us?

Past the point of no return, the final threshold—

What warm, unspoken secrets will we learn beyond the point of no return…

_It was now my turn to begin to sing and as difficult as the melody was, I believed that I had the song down…_

You have brought me to that moment where words run dry,

To that moment where speech disappears into silence, silence…

I have come here, hardly knowing the reason why…

In my mind I've already imagined our bodies entwining, defenseless and silent—

Now I am here with you:

No second thoughts, I've decided, decided…

Past the point of no return—

No going back now: our passion play has now, at last, begun…

Past all thought of right or wrong—

One final question: how long should we two wait, before we're one…?

When will the blood begin to race, the sleeping bud burst into bloom?

When will the flames at last consume us…?

_The climax of the song was a thundering torrent of passion as our voices entwined in a sweet harmony:_

Past the point of no return, the final threshold—

The bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn…

We've past the point of no return…

"_Oh, I love it, Erik!" I praised, "The song is very beautiful."_

_He began to put the music away as he replied, "Thank you… And you sang quite lovely, my dear. Especially considering that was the first time you ever sung that song."_

_I reveled in the praise of my teacher. It always made me happy to please him._

"_I hope that when you finish the opera, I shall be the first to hear it."_

"_Of course."_

_I did very much like what I heard from this 'Don Juan Triumphant'… Though the lyrics made me blush in embarrassment…_

_He stood to his full height, "Well, are you hungry, my dear? It is about dinner time…"_

_My stomach growled as an answer and I followed him into the kitchen. This time, I insisted that he let me help cook. We cooked some seasoned chicken and had creamy alfredo noodles which turned out quite good considering I had a hand in making them…_

_I finished setting the table as Erik made a single salad…_

"_Erik, aren't you going to have a salad as well?"_

"_I can make myself one later when I eat… If I made one now, it would be all warm by the time I got to it later."_

_I did not understand, "What do you mean later, Erik?"_

"_Well, I cannot really eat with you," he pointed to his mask, "You see, it's nearly impossible for me to eat with my mask on."_

_He turned back around to making the salad and I approached him from behind, laying my hands on his shoulders._

"_Erik, it's alright, really. Eat with me. I couldn't care less as to whether you had your mask on or not."_

_He still did not turn to face me, "Are you sure, Christine? I would not want to ruin your appetite by having you look at my hideous face…"_

_I smiled and turned him around to face me, "I'm sure. Now let's eat."_

**Erik's POV**

**This had been the best meal of my life. The food did not matter though—all that I cared about was the fact that Christine enjoyed it with me and never showed a hint of disgust over my face!**

**This had been the first time I had ever dined with another… My own mother never let me eat at the dining room table with her. I'd always have to eat my meals all alone in my room…**

**Christine was too good to be true—kind, talented, beautiful… She was the only person who has ever looked upon my face without revulsion. **

**God, how I love her!**

Give me an R! Give me an E! Give me a V! Give me an I! Give me an E! Give me a W! What does that spell? REVIEW! SO, GIVE ME ONE OR I'LL PUNJAB YOU!


	10. Disasters to Come

**Thank you for all the great reviews for the last chapter! If I knew where all you people lived, I'd give you all a big hug! So, before I start this next chapter, here's an Internet hug for you all!**

**Christine's POV**

_My ankle healed pretty well over the next few days and Erik had made sure that I was comfortable and entertained me with books and music. I was feeling quite well by the sixth day and Erik offered to return me to the surface. _

_It was then that I realized that I had been absent for six performances of 'Hannibal'. What would I do? It was in my contract that I was expected to perform every evening there was a show unless I had been given permission from the managers to be off… Down here, it was so easy to forget about the world above…_

_What would happen now? Would the managers fire me?_

_I was now sitting in Erik's gondola being taken back to the Opera. _

"_Erik… I have been gone for six performances at the Opera. What will the managers do?"_

_He turned his head around to look at me and said in a reassuring tone, "No worries, my dear. O.G. has already elucidated to those two fools not to chastise you for your absence this past week."_

_We made it to shore and Erik helped me out of the gondola. César, the striking black steed which Erik 'borrowed' from the Opera, carried me up the winding dark tunnels while Erik walked alongside the creature pulling the reins. _

"_It's come to my attention that that dreadful woman, Carlotta, has returned to the stage and is absolutely slaughtering the role of Elissa in Hannibal… Now that you shall be returning, the audience will no long have to suffer through listening to La Carlotta's third rate singing… If she even is worthy to be called third rate," he gave a slight chuckle._

_As terrible as Carlotta was in all aspects, I hated saying mean things about others…Even if that person kind of deserves to be criticized… _

_As we made our way down the last corridor, I could begin to see my dressing room through the two-way mirror. Erik approached the glass and swiftly made it budge then stood to the side and gestured for me to step through first._

"_Thank you," I said quietly._

"_You're quite welcome, my dear," Erik said as he stepped through the mirror himself._

_It was always so strange to see Erik in the light…_

"_Thank you for caring for my injured ankle as well."_

"_It healed very nicely, but you should still try not to put too much strain on it for another week or so."_

"_Of course," I smiled in gratitude._

_He began to step back through the secret passageway until I caught his arm to stop him._

"_Erik… Promise I will see you again tonight at the chapel for my singing lesson?"_

"_Of course," he smirked and vanished like a ghost into the dark of the secret passage._

_Meg, of course, must be worried about me so I went to the ballet practice hall to look for her._

_As I entered the room, I was immediately surrounded by all of the ballerinas._

_Amidst all of the questioning of the ballerinas, Meg squeezed through the crowd and exclaimed, "Christine, it _is _you! I'd ask where you've been this past week, but maman says that I have to stop asking so many questions….. Though she never said that I couldn't ask if you're alright… Are you, Christine?"_

"_Oh, yes, I'm fine, Meg. No worries."_

_The familiar harsh bang of Madame Giry's cane against the floor sounded throughout the room. Not a single mouth moved now._

_Madame scolded the girls saying, "Did I instruct that you indolent excuses for dancers could take a break? Go back to practicing now!" she snapped, "You as well, Meg!"_

_Madame took me by the arm and pulled me gently into the next room._

_She sighed, "Erik told me that you were injured?"_

_I lifted my skirt up to my ankle to show her and replied, "Yes, I have a sprained ankle—I had tripped down some stairs."_

"_Well, you probably should not dance in tonight's show then. Give your ankle a rest…," she placed her hand on my shoulder, "I am glad you're back with us, Christine… I don't like you spending so much time alone with him… It only intensifies his obsession for you."_

"_Madame, he'd never hurt me."_

"_Just be careful, Christine," with that, she walked back into the ballet room._

_In thought, I started my way back to my dressing room._

"_Christine!" I turned as I heard my name called. It was Raoul._

"_Oh, thank god you're alright! Where on Earth were you for the past week?"_

_I suppose Raoul deserved to know where I've been… I mean, I was disappearing a lot lately…_

_I gestured for Raoul to follow me into my dressing room and closed the door behind us. _

_I sat myself down on the divan and told Raoul that he could sit anywhere._

_Raoul took a seat on the chair across from me and asked, "So, where were you, Christine?"_

"_Raoul, I was with Erik."_

"_Erik?" Raoul screamed. _

"_Shhh, Raoul, don't speak so loud. I was with Erik because I sprained my ankle. He helped me, that's all."_

"_Helped? If you were hurt, you should have come to me! I don't know much about this Erik, but I do know that that mask-wearing freak is not safe! And yet you keep going back to him! Why?"_

"_Raoul, I am in no danger. Erik would never hurt me."_

"_Really now? Are you just waiting for him to murder you in your sleep? Or maybe he'll rape you? Is that what you're waiting for, Christine?"_

_I couldn't take any more of this, "Raoul, Erik would never do anything to hurt me!"_

_Raoul opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a knock at the door._

_I excused myself and went to answer the door. It was one of the stagehands. _

_He gave me a swift bow and said, "Excuse me fer interruptin' mam'selle, but the managers wanted me ta tell you ta see 'em in Monsieur Firmin's office."_

"_Merci beaucoup, monsieur. I will be sure to see them as soon as possible," I responded. _

_I turned around to Raoul and said, "I must be going now, Monsieur le Vicomte."_

_I knew that he did not like me to call him by such a formal title, but I was angry with him for insulting Erik._

"_I hope to see you soon then, Mademoiselle," he said. He pressed a light kiss to my hand and departed…_

_Several minutes later, I was in front of the large, polished wooden door of Monsieur Firmin's office. I gently knocked on the door and waited for a response._

_Monsieur André answered the door, "Ah, Mademoiselle Daae. Come in."_

_I entered and found Monsieur Firmin sitting at his desk holding an envelope in his hand. Monsieur André pulled out a seat for me and then took a seat himself next to Monsieur Firmin. _

"_Mademoiselle Daae, do you know what this is?" Firmin said, holding up the envelope and then handing it to me. _

_Examining the letter closer, I noticed that it was rimmed in black and sealed with a crimson red wax skull._

_After a moment of merely staring at the skull transfixed, Monsieur André said, "Go on, read it."_

_I carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the delicate piece of parchment tucked within._

_It read:_

Dear Messieurs André and Firmin,

I am writing to inform you that our talented Mademoiselle Daae will not be able to perform for the next couple of weeks. She has suffered a minor injury and I do not wish for her to attempt to work while in her wounded state. The Opera cannot risk her receiving a more severe injury by pressing herself to perform.

Speaking of Mademoiselle Daae, I am concerned about her position in the Opera House. She is still a member of the Corps de Ballet and the chorus, is she not? For the sake of the success of my theatre, I shall have to _insist _upon her replacing that appalling excuse for a singer, Carlotta, as the permanent prima donna of my Opera, that is, of course, as soon as Christine is ready to perform again.

Obey these demands or a disaster beyond your imagination will occur.

I remain gentlemen, your obedient servant,

O.G.

P.S. I have not yet received my 20 thousand francs. I am sure this is merely a mistake on your part. You would not do well to displease me.

_Erik was truthful when he said that he would make certain that the managers wouldn't penalize me for my absence, but 'a disaster beyond your imagination'? This worried me. _

_André, being the calmer of the two managers, started off saying, "Mademoiselle, please, what do you know about this elusive O.G.?"_

"_Nothing. I know absolutely nothing."_

_Monsieur Firmin spat, "Don't try to pull one over us, Christine! We know you are involved with this so called 'Phantom'! Just tell us what you know or should we begin to suspect that you are the one pulling this elaborate hoax? You expect us to fork over 20 thousand francs, do you?"_

_I sank into my chair like the timid child I was and squeaked, "I know nothing of this O.G., messieurs. This I swear to you. And I am most certainly not the Phantom—the Opera Ghost has been sending notes to the managers of this theatre since before I even came here… You should obey him… Bad things happen if one does not appease the Opera Ghost."_

_Before Monsieur Firmin could open his mouth again to speak, a familiar and haunting voice sounded throughout the room. It was Erik. I have no idea where he was concealed, but his booming voice echoed through every inch of the office._

"_Trying to find the Phantom, eh? Well, I doubt you'll do any good questioning Christine like that. She's right you know—obey me or disasters beyond imagination will occur!"_

_The gas lamps in the room then went out and on again and again as Erik's laugher sounded throughout the room._

_When the lights came back on and we no longer heard the 'Ghost', the managers looked as white as ghosts themselves. Erik really knew how to terrify the managers. I tried to look a little frightened, because if the managers saw how calm I was after such a strange occurrence, they would really start to suspect something._

_Firmin, trying to gain control of the situation, said slightly nervously, "Well, I think that's all the questions we have for you today, Mademoiselle. Sorry for wasting your time."_

_And with that said, I was practically pushed out of their office. The door slammed shut behind me and I could hear Firmin and André arguing about the Opera Ghost from within the room._

_I returned to my dressing room and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, reading, and practicing my singing._

_I was in the middle of my favorite novel when I looked up at the clock and saw that it was almost time for my voice lesson with Erik._

_I headed down to the chapel and found Erik waiting for me. _

_I hardly made a sound entering and yet somehow, he heard me as he turned to greet me._

"_And there she is, right on time as always. How is your ankle, my dear?" he asked._

"_It feels alright."_

"_That is good… Shall we begin with your scales tonight?"_

_I nodded and positioned myself ready to sing._

_After several scales and warm-ups, Erik suggested that I practice Elissa's aria in _Hannibal.

_I could almost picture myself on the stage playing Elissa that night which seemed so long ago… It had been my first chance to shine like a star._

Think of me,

Think of me fondly,

When we've said goodbye.

Remember me, once in a while,

Please promise me you'll try.

When you find that once again you long

to take your heart back and be free,

If you ever find a moment,

Stop and think of me.

We never said our love was evergreen,

Or as unchanging as the sea,

But if you can still remember,

Stop and think of me.

Think of all the things we've shared and seen,

Don't think about the way things might have been.

Think of me,

Think of me waking, silent and resigned,

Imagine me, trying too hard to put you from my mind.

Recall those days,

Look back on all those times,

Think of the things we'll never do,

There will never be a day when I won't think of you!

Flowers fade,

The fruits of summer fade,

They have their seasons so do we,

But please promise me that sometimes,

You will think of me!

"_Brava, my dear. Your singing never fails to please me," he praised._

_It always brought me joy when my angel found my singing commendable. _

"_Erik?"_

"_Yes, Christine?"_

"_That note you sent earlier to the managers…. What did you mean by a 'disaster beyond imagination'?"_

_He gave a slightly devious grin, "You'll see, my dear… That is, of course, unless those two fools decide to obey my demands…"_

_I did not like the sound of what he was telling me._

"_Erik, I don't have to be the prima donna, you know…. It was absolutely magical that evening I was the star, really it was. I will always cherish the memory of the rush of joy I felt up on that stage in the limelight, but I'm not really star material… It's not imperative that I play the lead… Just let Carlotta be the star."_

_He raised his eyebrow at me and said, "And not let anyone hear your talent?"_

"_You hear me sing… What does it matter if all of Paris doesn't hear me sing? I can sing for you."_

_Slowly, with cat-like grace, he approached me and caressed my cheek with his gloved hand. This was one of the very few times that he ever initiated physical contact with me._

"_Christine, you deserve to shine."_

_He removed his hand and bid me goodnight. _

_That evening in bed, all I could think about was what disastrous perils lie ahead for the Opera House._

**Okay! Stay tuned for chapter 11… Things are going to get dramatic! Also, review pretty please!**


	11. The Cemetery

**Hooray! Thanks a bunch for the reviews! I feel so loved! I'm on a roll—two chapters in one day!**

**Erik's POV**

**It has been two weeks since my letter was sent to those imbeciles who run my theatre and Christine still has not been the lead in any of the recent performances! How dare they disregard a direct order from the Phantom! Those pompous fools are playing with their lives! It would be so easy to wring their necks… No, it wouldn't do much good to kill them… The whole opera would be after me then… I need to give the opera audience a bit of a scare to get the message across that O.G. is not to be disobeyed… Who could I have fall victim to my Punjab lasso? It would need to be someone… disposable… I knew just the man… Someone that the Opera wouldn't miss. Killing him during a performance would work nicely to get the managers attention… Joseph Buquet, you best keep your hand at the level of your eyes…**

**The ballet in Act III of 'Hannibal' was just getting underway. I could even see my beloved Christine from where I stood in the shadows up in the rafters… I felt awful that by killing Buquet, I would frighten her along with everyone else, but I had to do it now—the fat stagehand was right where I wanted him…**

**I jumped out from the shadows and landed right in front of Buquet on one of the nearby rafters. He gasped in shock and fear as I cornered him and pulled my deadly lasso out from under my cloak. He tried to run, but my lasso was faster.**

**His neck snapped nicely and I let the corpse drop down onto the stage. **

**First, I heard the ear-piercing screaming of Meg Giry follow by the entire audience and all of the performers. **

**The managers made a futile attempt to calm the audience by trying to convince them that this was 'simply an accident'.**

**Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed my sweet Christine running off the stage… I decided to follow her even when she left the Opera, fleeing into the dark of night.**

**Christine's POV**

_Oh my God! I never thought Erik would murder someone! _

_I was dancing one moment and then I heard Meg shriek and point to the center of the stage. There, hung by a noose, was the body of Joseph Buquet!_

_I was scared and confused so I ran. I always run away…_

_If I could not talk to my Angel of Music, then there was only one other person I felt safe with, even though that person died almost ten years ago. _

_Even in the warm summer evening, the cemetery still had a ghostly chill to it. I walked on through rows of statues with their cold, unblinking eyes staring at me. I felt like I was being watched. Not by the statues-I may have at one time been gullible enough to believe in the Angel of Music, but I know statues don't watch you. There was something else lurking in the cemetery…_

_I pushed these thoughts out of my mind as I approached the mausoleum which read 'Daae'. _

_I collapsed in a pathetic pile of sobs on the steps of the tomb._

"_Oh, Papa! Help me please… Papa… I need you."_

_I gasped as a filthy hand covered my mouth._

"_I don't think your Papa can help you now, little girl," a gruff and unfamiliar man's voice said in my ear. I could smell strong alcohol on his breath._

_He took his hand off of my mouth and roughly yanked me up by my hair and spun me around to face him. He was a middle-aged man, or perhaps just looked older from alcohol abuse, with greasy blackish-grey hair and a beard. He gave me a sinister smile unveiling two rows of crooked yellow teeth._

_He seized my wrists and pushed me down onto the steps with great force. My back ached as it hit the jagged stone stairs._

"_Don't be 'friad—you'll like what I'm about to do to ya...," he took out a silver knife as he said this._

_He held the knife up to my throat as I trembled beneath him. _

"_Now, don't ya try ta pull nothin' funny… That's a good girl, stayin' nice and still," he said and laughed horridly. I was too scared to move._

_The man began to rip my skirts and tore off my pantyhose with his dirty fingernails._

_Oh God, please no! I laid there with my eyes closed, crying, as he held me down. _

_I was waiting for the awful event which I knew would come. Just then, I heard the horrible man scream and I opened my eyes. There was a loop of rope pulled tight around the man's neck. It was Erik!_

_Soon, the man who had assaulted me was lying on the ground as still as one of the many statues that filled the graveyard._

_The masked figure approached me, saying things like, "Christine, it's alright, no one is going to hurt you."_

_I was still afraid of this man who I knew had blood on his hands. Just how many men has he killed?_

_I backed away in fear until my sore back hit the wall of the mausoleum._

_A look of confusion past over the masked man's face as he said reassuringly, "It's me, Christine."_

_I yelled at him, "You killed Buquet! You're a murderer! Why did you kill Buquet?"_

_Erik looked down at his feet, "I told the managers that if my demands were not met, a disaster would occur."_

"_That's no reason to kill a man! Don't you know right from wrong?"_

_He looked in my direction scornfully. Not scorn for me, but it seemed as though he was looking down upon the world and all mankind in scorn._

"_What does it matter whether I choose right or wrong! A hideous monster like me should have a heart just as hideous as his exterior…"_

"_And yet your heart's not, Erik." _

_Why did I say that? I was furious with him only a moment ago and yet, as always, I find myself once again being sincerely compassionate to him._

"_Erik, you don't have to be what the world makes you to be… I know you have a good heart, you were always so kind to me as my Angel of Music…"_

_He stepped closer to me and kneeled down to my eye level. I didn't back away like before._

_He dropped his head down to my now tattered skirt and wept._

"_Oh, Christine, I'm sorry. I beg your forgiveness. I'm an awful person. This isn't the first time I have killed either… I don't deserve to be in your presence…"_

_Erik reached over and picked up the knife the man who attacked me dropped. He held the blade up to his throat._

"_I'll die now, if you want… I'll make up for my murders. I'll pay by burning in Hell for my crimes."_

_Immediately, I snatched the blade from him and tossed it to the side._

"_Erik, how could you even consider doing such a thing?"_

"_If I can't have you, Christine, then it would be far too painful to go on living… And I know that I'll never have you."_

_That wasn't true, he had me since the day he first sung his trance-inducing song to me._

"_Please, live. I do not wish to lose you, Erik… You're all I have left after my Papa died."_

_Slowly, ever so slowly, he looked up into my eyes. _

"_Christine… will you forgive me?"_

_Could I? He's killed and yet, something inside me told me to forgive him. _

_As crazy as it seemed, it was almost as if I could hear my father saying, "Forgive him, my child. You know that he needs you as much as you need him."_

_Did I need Erik? I did. He's been there for me since the day I first came to the Opera Populaire. He sung to me and wiped away my tears._

"_I… I forgive you, Erik."_

_He looked at me with an odd combination of shock, joy, and disbelief._

_I continued, "But promise me, Erik, that you will never murder again unless it's absolutely necessary."_

_He looked straight into my eyes and promised me. Whenever he promised something, I could tell when he was striving to keep that promise. By the look in his green eyes, I could tell that he wouldn't break his vow._

_We spent several moments just looking at each other until he stood and held out his hand for me. I took it and he helped me to my feet._

"_Are you alright, my dear? That wretched man did not succeed in harming you?"_

"_I'm alright… My back is sore from hitting those stairs though and my wrists are probably going to bruise where he was clenching onto them."_

"_That bastard! How dare he lay his grubby hands on you!"_

"_I forgot to say, Erik, thank you. Thank you so much… You saved me."_

"_Well, I certainly wasn't going to sit back while that man did God knows what to you."_

_We reached the gates of the cemetery and Erik led me over to a chocolate-colored horse that I recognized from the Opera stables. _

_I gave him a disapproving glance as he said, "I'm just borrowing her."_

_Erik hoisted me up onto the horse and then got on himself. It made me blush to be sitting so close to him, pressed against his chest._

_We rode through the Parisian streets in the dark summer night until we were close to the Opera's entrance. _

"_Go ahead in, I'll sneak the horse back to her place in the stable."_

"_Aren't we going to have a singing lesson this evening?"_

"_I am a strict teacher, but I'll excuse you from practicing today because of all that transpired…"_

"_I would like a lesson tonight though… Singing will help me to forget today's events."_

"_Have it your way, my dear… Meet me on the roof in fifteen minutes."_

**Erik's POV**

**After Christine departed into the Opera house, I tied the horse to a nearby rail and slipped into the shadows to the stables. To my luck, I found that nobody was present, only a dozen or so horses stood in their stalls neighing at my presence. **

**I slipped back outside, untied the horse and led it back into the stable. As long as you return something before it's missed, everything works out fine.**

**I entered the theatre through a secret entrance in the back of the building and navigated my way up to the roof. **

**Christine was there on the roof standing with her back turned to me in a fresh gown. She looked simply angelic there in the moonlight in her light blue, flowing dress which caressed each curve of her beautiful form.**

"**Christine."**

**She turned and smiled at me, "Shall we begin our lesson?"**

***************************************************************************************Alright, end of chapter… Sorry it was kinda short, but the next chapter will be longer and very romantic! Fluff fans stay tuned!**

**REVIEW!**


	12. Loved At Last

**Okay, so, this chapter is going to be a romantic one!**

**Erik's POV **

**Our singing lesson when by as usual and the weather felt good up on the roof beneath the darkened summer sky. **

**I always had Christine end her lessons with a song. Tonight, she asked me if I would sing a song with her. She chose the ending to Aida in which Aida dies in her lover's arms. **

"**Farewell, O Earth! Farewell thou vale of sorrow!**

**Brief dream of joy condemned to end in woe!**

**See, brightly opens the sky, an endless morrow**

**There all unshadowed eternal shall glow!"**

**Those last few lines rang out and faded into the dark sky. Christine and I were left ****standing only a foot or two apart on the roof. The moonlight shined against her hair and outlined her beautiful figure in rays of white light. She looked lovely.**

**Tentatively, I approached her and she didn't shrink away from me.**

"**Christine… You can't imagine the amount of joy your song brings me… You are music itself, my dear."**

**She blushed under the flattery and turn slightly from me. She was now looking out over the roof at the glittering city of Paris stretching out for miles into the night sky. **

"**Isn't it absolutely lovely, Erik?" she whispered.**

**I crossed over to stand at her side.**

**There was an unusual amount of stars hanging like diamonds in the night sky. **

"**You're so beautiful, Christine."**

**She turned towards me this time and gave me a breath-taking smile.**

"**Thank you, but where did that come from?" she giggled slightly.**

"**I don't know, I just thought you look extra beautiful tonight."**

**She turned back in thought to the moon.**

"**Why do you love me?" she asked.**

"**What do you mean?"**

"**I mean, why me? Why give all of your everlasting and lavish affection to me? There are plenty of woman out there who are much prettier and more talented than me… I'm only the daughter of a poor Swedish violinist. I have hardly enough money to live off of and the only reason why anyone knows my name is because of that one night I had in the spotlight… It won't be much longer until the press forgets all about me and I'm just a nameless face in the Opera chorus again… Why me, Erik? Why?"**

**Daringly, I reached out and enveloped her petite hand in mine.**

"**I've seen thousands of women in my lifetime, Christine… I've lived in this Opera House for ****too many years to count and I have seen my share of beautiful women here… I've heard some talented singers and seen some graceful dancers, but **_**you**_**, Christine, are the most heavenly woman I've ever encountered… In my eyes, you are the essence of perfection on the inside and the outside… I love you with all my heart and you are the only person who has ever shown me so much kindness."**

**It felt slightly awkward to lay out my feelings right in front of her. Normally, I kept everything to myself, but for some reason, I always felt I could trust her. Rarely did I trust people.**

"**I would do **_**anything**_** for you, Christine. Ask anything of me and I'll do it."**

**She took a few steps toward the statue nearest to where we stood, making her hand slip out of mine. She placed her pale, little hand over the stone sculpture.**

"**Your love for me is quite flattering, Erik. I just….. don't understand how I feel about you…"**

**She did not love me. I knew she just did not want to completely crush every fiber of my heart, so she claimed that she 'didn't understand her feelings'. I knew that meant 'I don't love you, how could I ever love you'.**

**It broke me to pieces.**

**Christine's POV**

_Time and time again, he professed his deep love for me. I accepted his flattering sentiments, but never gave him a reply. The only reply I have to offer is that I don't understand how I feel. He deserved more of a response than that. He pours his heart out to me and all I give him in return is an indecisive answer. Why is it that I can never decide what I want?_

_I've known Erik for nearly ten years… He has been there for me since the day I first arrived at the Opera Populaire. He had soothed my grief and helped me to find a patch of happiness within all of my sorrow over losing Papa._

_The Angel of Music was indeed Erik. He had told me that I was music. That wasn't true. He was music. Music can sound dark and dangerous, but music is always beautiful underneath._

_Erik's a little rough around the edges- he's been broken and bruised by mankind his whole life, how could he not be a little rough around the edges? He is not beyond repair though… I know—I have seen how beautiful his soul is underneath all the hurt and pain life has unfairly given him. He needs to be loved and it is my choice whether to be the one to give him the love that he deserves._

_If I choose Erik, things won't be easy. People will never accept him, so I'd have to be willing to suffer some of the torment that would go along with being around him in public. He loses his temper fairly easily, but he would never hurt me. Maybe his temper would improve with time… After all, I don't think that I myself would be too good-tempered if I lived underground all alone for so long…_

_Erik would never stop loving me. With him, I'd have a lifetime of glorious music and unparalleled love. If I did not have my Angel, where would the sweet music go? I would be lost again without my Angel of Music there to guide me… I needed Erik, no matter how hard it may be for us to have a life together. Things would not be easy, but as long as we were together, we'd make it work. We both needed each other. _

_I turned to him and motioned that I was going to remove his mask. He backed away like a frightened child, but I silently insisted that he let me remove the interfering garment. To my surprise, he let me. _

_Ever so softly, I pressed the palm of my hand to his distorted cheek and caressed his face with my fingers. He sighed and laid his hand on top of mine._

_All was silent until I made my decision to break that silence with three, life-changing words, "I love you."_

_Before Erik could utter a word, I leaned in and kissed him. It was a gentle and chaste kiss, but when it was done, I wanted more. I leaned in and kissed him again and again. The kisses became deeper and more and more romantic. Our tongues entwined in our hungry mouths in a fiery dance of passion and my arms embraced him as he did the same to me. I've never kissed someone like this before._

_I could feel the hot tears streaming down Erik's face, making me cry myself. Our tears mingled until we broke apart._

"_Oh, Christine…"_

*****************************************************************************Erik's POV**

**I couldn't believe what I was hearing. She loves me. She loves me! Those three sweet words that I've yearned to hear my entire life, spoken by her perfect lips! And she kissed me! Oh, how she kissed me! It was nowhere near like the chaste kiss she'd given me after I told her about my mother not loving me, that kiss had been merely out of pity. This kiss was full of love and passion. She kissed me again and again without my mask on!**

**Oh, how I cried! My Christine loves me! **

"**Oh, Christine…"**

"**Erik…"**

**I approached her, halfway expecting her to vanish into thin air and for me to awake to find I was only dreaming… She didn't disappear. She was really there in front of me in the flesh. I pulled her close to me, wrapping her in my cloak and inhaling the rosy smell of her hair. I never wanted to let her go.**

"**I love you, Erik. I love you so much," she whispered into the material of my shirt.**

**I knew that as long as I lived, I'd never get tired of hearing those words.**

**We stayed like that for a long time until we were both startled by the chiming of the nearby town clock—it was midnight.**

**She pulled away from me unwillingly, "Erik… I must go. Madame Giry will wonder where I am."**

"**Come then, my dear, I will take you back to your room." **

**I left Christine in her bed and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before I returned to my home.**

**I practically collapsed onto the seat of my organ and wept. I cried tears of joy. Never had I been loved before! I almost couldn't cope with the shocking realization that my dear Christine loved me! **

**Needing an outlet for my emotions, I ran to my piano and began to compose pure and unearthly melodies all dedicated to Christine.**

**I didn't sleep a wink that evening. I just played and played into the wee hours of the morning, reveling in the fact that for the first time in my life, I was loved!**

**I'm sorry that this chapter was short… I'll try to make the next chapter longer! Remember to review!**


	13. Words in Roses

So, next chapter! Have a blast reading it and keep the reviews coming!

**Again, I never have and never will own Phantom… It's sad…**

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**Christine's POV**

_I was beginning to worry about Erik… I hadn't seen or heard from him since that night I professed my love to him… That was three days ago… Where is he? _

_I wasn't too concerned though, only because after every performance for the past few days, I've found a single red rose tied with a black ribbon lying on top of my vanity. _

_The performance tonight went wonderfully and the cast got a full standing ovation. After the curtain call, I felt pretty ill from not only the extremely humid weather, but the heat of the stage lights and the strain of dancing all night. _

_Meg caught up with me after the performance._

"_Christine, some of the chorus and I are gonna go out on the town tonight to celebrate. Are you going to come?"_

"…_No, I'm going to stay here, Meg. I'm not feeling that great."_

_She immediately looked worried and, grabbing onto my arm, she said, "Oh, are you going to be alright, Christine? If you're feeling ill, I could stay here with you."_

"_No, no. You go and have fun, Meg. I'll be alright, I just feel a little exhausted is all."_

"_Okay... I'll see you later then, okay?"_

_I nodded and waved goodbye as she ran off down to the main foyer._

_I needed fresh air and some peace and quiet, so I headed up seventeen stories to the roof. It had cooled down a bit now that it was evening and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I sighed as I remembered that night with Erik up here only a few days ago._

_I began to walk towards the spot where Erik and I had stood kissing and embracing each other. I then felt a soft crunch beneath my feet. I looked down and saw a red rose petal. There were petals spread out everywhere and I realized that the petals spelled out a message:_

"_Christine, Mon Ange (Christine, My Angel)"_

_Tears formed in my eyes and dropped like tiny pearls onto the roof. _

"_I am hoping that those are tears of happiness, mon ange?" Erik stepped out from behind one of the statues near me._

"_Erik!" I cried and rushed into his arms, "Thank you for the roses, you're too thoughtful. It's very romantic what you did."_

"_I'm glad you like it, my dear."_

"_I love it, but… where were you for the past few days?" I asked._

_He looked out over the edge of the building and said, "I guess sometimes I get a little carried away with my music… My 'Don Juan Triumphant' is nearly complete though… Plus, it took me awhile to get this set up for you… It took a lot of roses…"_

_I smiled up at him and, to my surprise, he kissed my forehead lovingly._

"_Erik… How did you know that I would come up here tonight?"_

_He shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I just had a feeling you'd be here. It's a lovely night after all…"_

_I agreed with Erik and took a seat down on a platform near the ledge. Erik came and sat down with me._

"_Erik?" I said after a few silent minutes._

"_Yes, Christine?"_

"_There is a masquerade ball next week for all the Opera workers and patrons and their friends and families… I've never had a date to any of the dances… Would you like to come with me?"_

_He looked very surprised and concerned._

"_Christine… I… I don't think that's a good idea...," he replied. _

"_Erik what's wrong?"_

_He looked away from me before saying, "I am not fond of being in public places, you know that. I don't enjoy having people gawk at me like they always do…"_

_I held his hand and stroked it with my thumb to comfort him. He gave a slight smile at this gesture._

"_Erik, it will be fine. It's a masquerade. Everyone will be wearing masks. You'll fit in perfectly! Please come with me! It will be so much fun!"_

_He sighed and caressed my cheek with his hand._

"_I can deny you nothing, my dear. I'll come with you to the masquerade."_

_I hugged him tightly and squealed, "Oh, thank you, thank you!"_

* * *

"_Oh, Christine! Look at this one!" Meg squealed and pointed to an elegant lavender dress in the window._

_Meg and I had been shopping the entire day, searching for the perfect dresses to wear to the masquerade which now was only a few days away._

"_You should try it on, Meg. I think that you'd look lovely in it."_

_We entered the classy boutique that was absolutely stuffed with costume dresses for balls. _

"_Excusez-moi, Madame," Meg called to the clerk and began discussing the lavender dress whilst I browsed through the store._

_Normally, I would pay more notice to the prices, but today I was not. Erik had insisted upon giving me a ridiculous sum of money to buy a costume for the masquerade with, even though I told him that wasn't necessary. I noted to him that I probably would not end up spending it all, but he told me I could just take Meg along with me to shop for her dress too. Meg had been thrilled when she heard that we had shopping money and immediately dragged me out to go through every dress shop in Paris. Meg loves to shop, but her mother would kill her if she spent too much._

_I wasn't really finding anything so far—all of the dresses were much too gaudy and overdone._

_Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a light pink gown. I picked it up off of the rack and immediately fell in love with it. _

_It was beautiful. All made out of a silky powder pink fabric with the skirt surrounded in light pink gossamer and trimmed with layers and layers of lace and gathered fabric into a slight, but elaborate bustle with the rest of the material flowing around it. The neckline was trimmed with lace, ribbon, and a few fake diamonds. The dress was perfect! _

_I went to try it on, praying that it would fit. It fit me like a glove! I stepped out of the dressing room and every eye in the store turned to look at me in admiration. _

_I blushed and Meg skipped over to me, "You finally found a dress that you like, Christine? It's beautiful! You look like a queen in a book!"_

"_Thank you, Meg… I still need a mask though…"_

"_Well," she pointed across to the other end of the store, "They do sell some here for masquerades… You should go over and look at them."_

_I nodded and went back into the dressing room first to change._

_When I was done, I went up to the counter and handed the clerk the gown._

"_I would like to buy this, please. I am going to do a bit more shopping though."_

"_I will wrap up the dress for you then, mademoiselle. Take as much time as you need looking through our vast selection of wares."_

_I walked over to where Meg had pointed to earlier and found a couple shelves filled with masks. _

_I looked through and tried on about ten different masks, sometimes giggling at how I looked in the mirror. _

_Finally, I found one that was a shade or two lighter than the dress I picked out. It was a delicate, women's mask which only covered from part of the forehead to the nose. It was trimmed in gold ribbon and the surface was adorned in painted pink roses and musical notes with a gold treble clef on the nose part. _

_I brought it over to the clerk and found Meg there with the lavender dress she saw earlier and a silvery mask. _

"_That will be 1,254 francs, please."_

_We paid the woman and stepped out of the shop._

"_It's getting kinda dark out, Christine… We have some money left over, right?"_

_I nodded._

"_Let's take a carriage back to the Opera then, Christine." _

_It didn't take long to get a carriage to stop for us. The driver helped Meg and me with our shopping bags and we settled down in the back seat._

"_We would like to go to the Opera Populaire, please," I told the driver and handed him a few francs._

_The ride took about a half hour and Meg flirted with the driver the whole way._

_Once we arrived back at the Opera, Meg and I went our separate ways to put our purchases away._

_I was halfway to my dressing room when I bumped into Raoul._

"_Ah, Christine," he beamed at me with his white teeth, "I'm glad that I found you! I was wondering if you would do me the honor of being my date to the masquerade ball this Saturday evening."_

"_I'm sorry, Raoul… I am already going with someone else…"_

_His previously jovial demeanor dissipated into pure anger._

"_It's that Erik, isn't it? I've warned you that he's dangerous and yet you're going to the masquerade with him? Well, I suppose he must love masquerades considering he wears a mask all the time! What's he hiding anyways? Do you even know, Christine? An honest man wouldn't hide his face like that!"_

_This angered me, "He is a good man and I have the right to go with whomever I choose to the masquerade!"_

_I tried to push past Raoul, but he grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him. His brow was furrowed in frustration._

"_Do you love him, Christine?"_

_The last time he'd asked me this, I had not been able to give him a definite answer. I turned to him and gave him a stern look showing my resolve._

"_I love Erik with all my heart, Monsieur le Vicomte."_

_He scowled at me as I yanked my arm from his grasp and walked briskly away from him._

"_You will regret this, Christine Daae!" he called after me, "I swear, I will find this so called 'Erik' if it's the last thing I do!"_

_He stomped off toward the main foyer._

_I called after him, "Good luck with that! You could never find Erik!"_

_He didn't respond, so I wasn't even sure if he heard me._

_I walked the rest of the way back to my dressing room and hung my masquerade costume in my closet and set the mask on my vanity._

_I plopped down on my bed sheets and began to worry somewhat over Raoul's threat. I tried to convince myself that Erik would be alright, after all, he has dwelled in the catacombs undiscovered for years… Raoul couldn't find him… At least I hoped…_

_

* * *

__I was in my dressing room on the night of the masquerade and I was just finishing getting rea__dy. T__he gown looked even more beautiful in the light of my dressing room. I did a little twirl with it on in front of my mirror, admiring how it looked on me._

_I let my long hair flow free except for two small pieces which I pulled back and pinned with a white rose. The only jewelry I wore was the stunning necklace Erik had given to me in his library that evening last month. I pulled on some white gloves and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked perfect! I hope Erik would think so too… He has not seen the dress I bought yet._

"_What a beautiful dress you picked out, my dear," I heard Erik's familiar voice say just before he stepped out from behind the mirror. He was wearing an outfit all in crimson with a mask that resembled a skull and covered about two-thirds of his face. He was the Red Death!_

"_Thank you," I approached him and seized him in an embrace, "Though, I hope you weren't watching while I put it on," I giggled._

_He shook his head, "No, never would I do such a thing."_

_I felt the velvety fabric of his costume and said, "I like your costume, Erik. It looks good on you… It's very mysterious, but not too scary…"_

"_I'm glad you like it… I didn't want anything that would attract too much attention, but I'm afraid it might…"_

"_I don't think so… Like I said, it is not too scary. There are always other guys at the masquerade who wear some super creepy costumes. I think they'll get more attention."_

_He held out his arm for me to take and said, "Shall we go then?"_

_I accepted his arm and we walked together to the main foyer. If only I had known what was to come…_

* * *

**Well, that's it! What will happen to Erik and Christine? If you want to know soon, you'd better ****REVIEW—it keeps me going!**


	14. Masquerade

**Hello! Gutentag! Bonjour! Aloha! Konnichiwa! Ni Hao! Here's the next chapter! Hooray! Thanks for all the reviews!**

* * *

**Erik's POV**

**Christine looked more breathtaking than ever in her gown. Even with a mask covering part of her lovely face, she still was beautiful.**

"**Shall we, my dear?" I asked and held out my arm for her to take. She did and we made our way to the main foyer.**

**I was still quite anxious about being in such a large crowd of people, but I tried to stay calm by reminding myself that everyone would be wearing masks. **

**Christine and I walked down the grand staircase and immediately were taken in by the beautiful decoration of the party. There was gold tinsel and silver confetti adorning every nook and cranny. Mountains of fancy flowers had been purchased and placed on every table. Even the Opera orchestra was positioned up on the marble balcony and was playing a slow waltz. **

**Christine gave me a brilliant smile as we stepped out onto the floor which was packed with masked partygoers all in strange and wonderfully elaborate costumes. Christine never let go of my hand as we pushed our way through the crowd. For the first time in my life, no one even paid me a second glance. It was a wonderful feeling to not be stared at… I felt almost normal for once.**

**I now saw where Christine had been leading me. Meg Giry was standing in the crowd, waving at Christine to come closer.**

"**Christine! There you are! You look beautiful!"**

"**Thank you, Meg. You look lovely as well!"**

**Miss Giry was wearing an elaborate lavender dress and a silver mask which was embroidered with a flowery design.**

**Meg stepped closer to me and turned to Christine.**

"**Is this Erik? Your date?"**

**Christine nodded and put her arm around mine.**

"**Awww! You two look so cute together!" Meg gushed, "I wish I had a nice man of my own. All the guys I know are complete idiots… You're so lucky to have someone, Christine!"**

**Christine blushed and hid her face slightly in my crimson jacket. **

**All three of us heard a familiar bang of a cane against the floor and Miss Giry whirled around to see her mother standing behind her.**

"**Ah, I thought you might be going with Erik, Christine," Madame Giry remarked and shooed her daughter away. Meg scampered off to go flirt with a group of young actors that I recognized from the men's chorus.**

"**Good evening, Madame," Christine said politely to her ballet instructor who was adorned in her usual black attire and was wearing a gold-colored mask.**

"**No need to be so formal, my dear. You're like a daughter to me," her usual sternness dissipated just a bit as she said this. She continued, "Well, I hope you two have fun tonight. Just don't dance too hard, Christine, because there will be ballet practice tomorrow."**

**I found it very puzzling that Madame Giry would be so laid back about Christine and me going together to the masquerade. After all, I had overheard her a few weeks ago talking to Christine about me… What was it she said? Oh yes, she said, "****I don't like you spending so much time with him… It only intensifies his obsession for you." So why was she fine with us being together now?**

"**Because I care about both yours and Christine's happiness… I feel like a mother to both of you and want the best for you two. That's why, Erik."**

"**Madame, I didn't say anything."**

**She gave a sly smile, turned away, and said, "I just had some intuition as to what you were thinking, Erik… Have a good evening."**

**With that, she was gone. Over the years, I have learned to never underestimate the power of Madame Giry.**

**Christine turned to me and smiled, "Shall we dance then, Erik?"**

**Dancing. I hadn't stopped to think that I would have to dance at this party until now. Had I been so caught up in my fear of being here amidst all these people that I had completely overlooked that fact? I didn't know how to dance with a partner. Of course, I have seen people waltz before, but I myself have never tried it. How could I? I've never had a partner to dance with before.**

"**Erik?"**

**I snapped out of my idle thoughts and faced Christine.**

"**Christine… I've never waltzed before."**

**She gave me a reassuring smile and said, "That's okay, Erik. It's quite easy to waltz, you just have to follow the beat. You'll be good at that, plus, you catch on quickly."**

"**You're a dancer, Christine… I'm afraid I'll embarrass myself dancing in your presence."**

"**I'm a ballerina, Erik. I'm not that accomplished in waltzing myself… Even if we mess up, it'll be okay… Most people can't dance that well anyways."**

**I gave her a curt nod and she proceeded to instruct me, "Alright first, put your hand on my waist like this…"**

**Saying this, she placed my hand on the smallest part of her petite waist. Touching her like this sent a wave of ecstasy through my entire body. We were less than a foot apart from each other.**

"**Good, so I put my hand on your shoulder…," she did so and continued, "So, with my other hand I hold onto your hand like this…"**

**She held my hand gently, our arms out to one side with our elbows slightly bent downwards.**

"**Now you step forward with your left foot on the beat and I'll step back with my right foot…"**

**I did so and she smiled, "And you just keep stepping left and right or back and forth and I mimic your movements."**

**I quickly got the hang of it and thankfully, I didn't think that I was making a fool of myself. Actually, I stayed on the beat a great deal more than most of the drunk partygoers. **

"**You're very good at this, Erik," Christine praised.**

**I was surprisingly enjoying this so far… I liked how my body moved in sync with hers to the graceful music.**

**We drifted past Carlotta and Signor Piangi who were just making their way down the grand staircase. Carlotta sneered at Christine when she noticed her. She turned back to Piangi and whispered loud enough so that everyone within twenty feet of her could hear when she said, "Ah, that little tart, Christine, was with the Vicomte and now she left him for some other man. The little peasant should just pack whatever few things she owns and move to the whore house!" **

**How dare that woman! How dare she ridicule my sweet Christine! **

**Before I could wring Carlotta's neck, Christine tightened her grasp on my shoulder and whispered, "It's alright, Erik, just leave her be. She doesn't deserve our time or attention… It would just bring that woman some sick kind of joy if you got all upset because of her remarks."**

**Christine was right. We left her alone and shifted over to the opposite side of the room to dance.**

**I saw a man in a half female and half male costume twirling about drunkenly with a woman dressed like a butterfly. A woman passed by us dressed as a monkey and holding a pair of cymbals… She reminded me of my music box…**

"**Oh, I'm getting tired, Erik… I need to sit down for a bit," Christine said and let go of my hand, but kept her other hand on my shoulder still.**

**We found a place to sit on a bench off to the side of the dance floor. I reached over to the nearby table and grabbed a couple glasses of champagne. **

"**Here," I said and handed one of the glasses to Christine.**

**She thanked me and took a little sip out of the glass. She wasn't much of a drinker, but I knew she enjoyed a bit of champagne on special occasions.**

"**I'm having fun tonight, Erik. I'm glad you came with me."**

"**I'm actually enjoying myself as well, Christine," I responded.**

**We talked for awhile and waltzed for another half hour or so before Christine leaned close to my ear and whispered, "It's getting crowded feeling in here, Erik. Let's step outside."**

**She took me by the hand and pulled me through the crowd towards the exit.**

**We stepped out into the cool night air and sat down on the marble steps in front of the Opera House. I guessed that it was almost eleven in the evening.**

**We sat there in silence for several minutes until I got up and held out my hand to help her up.**

"**Shall we go back inside, Christine?" I asked.**

"**No, it's stuffy in there… Let's stay out here awhile longer…"**

**I nodded and sat back down next to her.**

"**I don't want to just sit here though, Erik. Let's go for a walk together in the Bois."**

* * *

**Christine's POV**

_The night was just so perfect and I wanted some alone time with Erik. I felt no longer scared around him. Now when I was with Erik, I just felt safe and like I had at last found my place in the world._

_We walked together hand in hand to the Bois, passing by streetlamps and several carriages here and there. The usually busy Parisian streets were pretty desolate this time of night._

_After awhile of walking at a leisurely pace, we reached one of the many entrances to the Bois de Boulogne. It was completely devoid of people, not a single soul was there._

"_It's so dark here…," I said, tightening my grasp on Erik's arm._

"_Well, there aren't any lampposts in this part of the park, Christine, just pure darkness… There is nothing to fear though, my angel. I would never let anything hurt you."_

_I smiled and snuggled closer to him._

_We continued walking like that, nestled very close to each other. We reached the pond where we had watched the mother duck and her babies last time we had been at the park together. The pond was now shadowed in darkness and reflected nothing but vague shifting shadows of rustling leaves on the nearby trees._

"_Oh Erik, look!" I pointed to a couple of beautiful, white swans gliding gracefully across the water._

"_They're lovely," he replied._

_The two birds were gliding so close that they were almost touching one another._

_For several minutes, we watched their graceful dance across the pond._

_Erik broke the silence and said, "I think they are mates… Swans mate for life, you know… Swans need one another to survive… They can't live without their partner…"_

_Erik had such a way with words._

"_Swans are such beautiful birds… Their love never dies," I said._

_Erik turned to me and held me close in his strong arms, "I pray that you'll always be with me, my sweet Christine… Life wouldn't be worth living without you."_

"_I love you, Erik," I mumbled into the fabric of his shirt._

"_And you know that I love you too, Christine."_

_I got up on my tiptoes and planted a soft and loving kiss on his lips. He caught my chin gently in his hand right after our lips had parted and brought me in for another more passionate kiss._

_After about a minute or two of reveling in the feel of each other's embrace, we broke apart gasping for oxygen._

_Erik smiled at me and I returned the gesture. I turned back to the pond and saw that the swans were nowhere to be found. _

"_Where did the swans go, Erik?" _

_He placed one of his gloved fingers to his lips to quiet me and whispered, "Don't move too quickly or you will scare them."_

_Saying so, he pointed to an area under the tree that was merely a few feet away from us. There, amidst shadowy grass, were two white silhouettes of the swans at rest with their heads nestled in each other's feathers._

_We both sat down on the grass and just watched the swans for the longest time._

"_Well, well, well, if it isn't the little whore and the masked freak of nature."_

_Immediately, Erik and I shot to our feet, scaring the peaceful swans off. Standing a few yards away from us was the last person I wanted to see. It was Raoul._

"_Raoul! What are you doing here?"_

"_I've told you, Christine, that I planned to find this Erik of yours and I intend to end him."_

_Raoul wanted to kill Erik?_

_Protectively, I jumped in front of Erik and shouted, "I won't let you hurt him!"_

"_He's a murderer, Christine! Don't you think it would be just to end his life?"_

_Before I could say anything, Erik gently pushed me back and said, "Just stay back where you're safe, Christine. I'll handle this boy."_

_Erik stepped forward and drew the sword that rested in the sheath on the side of his belt. He began to approach Raoul, sword in hand. Raoul drew his sword as well._

"_Erik!" I cried, "Please, remember what you promised me, do not kill again!"_

_He nodded to me just before Raoul charged at him in rage. Erik was able to dodge this attack and swung his sword out to block when Raoul sliced at him again. Their swords were locked in heated battle swinging back and forth and slicing through the air. _

_The battle didn't seem to be going in the favor of either of the men until Raoul knocked Erik to the ground. Raoul lunged at Erik with his sword aimed for Erik's heart. Thankfully, Erik acted quickly and rolled out of the way. Raoul's sword struck down onto thin air causing Raoul to stumble to the ground like Erik. _

_The two men wrestled on the ground with their swords locked in struggled combat and then Erik stopped struggling and dropped his sword… _

_Oh God, what had happened? Raoul stood from the ground and in his hand I saw the silver gleam of a dagger that was coated in blood. Raoul must have had the dagger hidden somewhere and stabbed Erik with it while they were wrestling on the ground._

_Raoul flashed a menacing smile as he looked down at Erik's bleeding body._

"_Looks like my work here is done," he laughed and disappeared into the night._

"_Erik!"_

_I ran towards him as fast as my feet would carry me. _

_Blood was gushing out of his stomach in a pool of crimson darker than the Red Death costume he wore. He had several large gashes across his stomach and a deep stab in his side. His eyes were wide open, but he didn't respond to me no matter how many times I called out his name. He was dripping sweat and his breathing was heavy and irregular. At least I knew he was still alive….. Barely…_

_I needed to stop the bleeding first before I did anything else or surely he would bleed to death._

_Quickly, I removed the red, velvety cape that hung over one of Erik's shoulders and wrapped the material tightly around the injury._

"_I will be right back, Erik. I promise. I need to go find a carriage to take you to a doctor," I told his unconscious body._

_I ran out to the street like a madwoman and began to search frantically for a carriage. I silently praised the Lord when I heard the familiar sound of horse hooves against the brick street._

_Waving my hands frantically, I yelled, "Help! Help! Please!"_

_The late night carriage driver thankfully heard this as he stopped and swiftly jumped out of his carriage and approached me. _

_The carriage driver was an older, portly gentleman who had aged with smile lines and had a look of genuine concern on his face._

"_What's wrong, mademoiselle?"_

"_My friend is hurt. I need to get him to a doctor quickly," I explained._

"_Where's your friend?"_

"_In the park, monsieur."_

"_Well," he gestured to the carriage, "get in. I can drive into the park and get your friend."_

_The man helped me onto the seat next to him in the carriage and he drove the horses on into the park._

_We came across Erik quickly and the man helped me lift Erik onto the back seat._

_I stayed next to Erik, cradling his head in my lap. _

_The carriage was open so I was able to see the driver._

"_Thank you, monsieur."_

"_Oh, that's no problem, miss. I wouldn't be a good religious man if I'd just ignored your cry for help."_

_I smiled at the man. He seemed like quite a kind old man._

"_You know, miss, you're in luck that you came across me. My cousin's actually a doctor, quite the skilled one too… He retired from working in the hospital a few years back, but he still takes patients in his home. I'm sure that he'd be happy to help your friend… He lives pretty close by."_

_I cried in joy at hearing this. I hoped that we would be arriving at this doctor's house soon… Hold on, Erik. Please don't leave me…_

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**Okay and that concludes this chapter! I bet that you want to know what happens next! Well, I'll post the new chapter sooner if you REVIEW! And speaking of reviews, you all should READ and REVIEW Eriksangelofmusic4ever's awesome fanfic Phantom Royale! She's an awesome author and deserves the reviews!**


	15. Healing

**Sorry that this took awhile for me to post… But here it is, Chapter 15! Hope you all like it!**

**Again, I don't own Phantom…**

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Erik's POV

**Everything was so hazy and blurred… I didn't know where I was nor could I remember what had happened to me… The only thing I was aware of was a heavenly melody being sung next to me… It was so close to me that I wanted to reach out to the source of the sweet music… I found that I couldn't move my body… Was I dead? Everything was so dark… I slipped in and out of various levels of consciousness, but I never could quite gain control of my senses enough to think in coherent thoughts… **

**I felt something soft and warm grasping my hand and heard a few unintelligible words being spoken to me… It was a soft and comforting voice that spoke to me... It was soothing and I slipped back into a deep level of unconsciousness…**

…

**A startling amount of light invaded my senses as my eyes shot open. **

**The first thing that I noticed was the incredible amount of agony coming from my abdomen. It burned and stung… It felt like my stomach was on fire. **

**I felt weak and slightly dizzy as I turned my gaze around the room to observe my surroundings… I was lying on a fairly comfortable bed and covered in an unnecessary quantity of quilts. The room was small, but very convivial and had a homey feel to it. There were a few pictures adorning the walls of people I didn't know and several pieces of antique furniture scattered about the room.**

**Upon observing these surroundings, I noticed my dear Christine sitting on an old armchair next to my bedside. She noticed that I was awake and gave me an overjoyed smile.**

"**Erik! Thank God you're awake! I worried myself sick over the past couple of days thinking that you would never wake up."**

**Not mattered how hard I tried to think, I still couldn't seem to get my thoughts straight… I was still confused about what had happened and why I was in this foreign room.**

"**Christine…," it took a while to gather up the strength to speak, "what happened?"**

**She gave me a puzzled look before explaining, "Don't you remember? We were walking together in the Bois after the Masquerade party. Raoul appeared and stabbed you in the stomach several times."**

**Everything was starting to come back to me… Dancing with Christine at the ball… Watching the swans in the Bois… The fight between Raoul and myself…**

"**How did I get here then?"**

"**Thankfully, I had found a kind carriage driver who helped me to bring you here where you could receive the medical attention you needed."**

"**And where is here?" I questioned.**

"**This is Doctor Laurent Beaudreau's home… He's retired from working in hospitals, but he still takes a few patients in his home... I thought it would be cleaner and more soothing for you to heal here rather than at a crowded hospital."**

"**Thank you, Christine… I'm well enough to leave now though."**

**As soon as I began to rise from the bed I felt the most terrible pain shoot through me, causing me to double over in agony and drop back down onto the mattress. **

"**Erik, you have to be careful. You wouldn't want to tear any of the stitches," Christine said anxiously. **

**Stitches? I looked down at my abdomen and noticed that I had no shirt on. On my stomach, I found three long gashes that were skillfully stitched up. The most conspicuous of my injuries was an area on the right side of my stomach that was padded with a thick layer of gauze which was wrapped tightly around me. **

**Images from my duel with Raoul flooded back into my mind… I recalled how he had taken me by surprise and pulled out a knife with which he stabbed me deep in the gut and slashed my flesh open several times…**

**The three gashes didn't pain me too much, but the stab wound ached and burned badly. **

**Christine spoke up to say, "Doctor Beaudreau said that you should be alright, Erik, though he is concerned about the wounds becoming infected."**

**I had felt kind of lightheaded and a bit feverish… **

**I felt a soft and warm hand glide over my chest. **

"…**Christine," I whispered in ecstasy at the sensation.**

**Her hand moved up and down against the rough skin of my chest and I realized that she was tracing the ghastly scars that littered my torso. **

**As her delicate, little finger ran across a particularly long scar, she asked the question which I had hoped she wouldn't ask, "Erik… Where did you get all these scars from?"**

"**That's not something I enjoy talking about."**

**At first, it seemed as though she wouldn't say anything more, but then, so very quietly, she questioned, "Are they from when you were in that traveling circus?"**

**Much to the protest of my injured body, I shot up in bed and harshly shouted at Christine, "Who told you that?"**

**She recoiled in fear slightly and squeaked, "… M-Madame Giry told me…"**

"**Damn that woman!" I spat, my anger now not directed at Christine.**

**She reached over and put her arm on mine.**

"**Don't be mad, Erik… I pressed her to tell me… I just want to know more about you."**

"**Well, there is nothing even remotely pleasant about my past…," I idly moved my hand across one of bumpy scars on my arm, "… Most of these scars are from my days as a sideshow freak… I was beaten mercilessly almost every day… Oh God, it hurt… I can still remember trying to sleep after being lashed… It was so cold lying in that cage and I was in so much pain…"**

**Most of what I had just said had been more to myself than to Christine.**

**After several silent moments, I turned to look at her. She had tears welling up in her eyes.**

"**Don't feel bad, mon ange, because you have brought me more joy than anyone has given me in my whole life."**

" **Erik, I…"**

**Whatever she was going to say, she was cut off as the door at the far end of the room squeaked open.**

**A man of average height and slightly plump stature strode into the room. He looked like he was in his late fifties with a somewhat grey and balding head of hair and a pair of spectacles riding low on his nose, He looked like a fairly decent person, but more importantly, he looked like he knew his trade.**

**He smiled as he saw me, "Ah, nice to see that you are back with us, Monsieur Destler. I'm Doctor Laurent Beaudreau, but you've probably guessed that already."**

**The man had a deep and reassuring voice.**

**I carried a general distaste for doctors. I hated the thought of anyone looking and pointing and prodding at my hideous body. Men of medicine were always prying on the matters of human oddities, wanting to observe freaks for the sake of medical science… This man seemed to be okay though...**

"**Mademoiselle Daae has been worried sick about you, Monsieur Destler… I couldn't even get her to leave your side for a second the first day or so that you were out. She's quite the devoted young lady."**

**Christine smiled kindly at the doctor's praise and her face flushed in modesty. **

"**Well, I hate to ask you to leave, Mademoiselle, but I must check up on the patient, so please, if you would kindly step outside for a bit."**

**Christine nodded and gracefully strode out of the room, quietly closing the wooden door behind her.**

**The doctor approached me and I couldn't help but to feel a bit of anxiety. I really hadn't wanted Christine to leave the room.**

**Turning to look at the doctor, I gasped in horror when I noticed what was sitting on the nightstand—my mask. Oh God, in my slight delirium, I must not have noticed the absence of the garment. **

**The doctor seemed to see why I was so distraught. **

**He raised his hands slightly in the air in a reassuring gesture and said, "Don't worry about that. When you're as old as I am, you've seen a lot of things… especially in my field of work. Nothing really surprises me anymore."**

**It was quite rare for me to encounter someone who does not find my face positively abhorrent. **

"**Well, shall we have a look at your injuries then?"**

**I could tell he was a tad bit curious about my multitude of scars, but he tried his best to not look like he was gawking at them.**

**He unraveled the bandages on my stomach and examined the stab wound with expert eyes.**

"**Well, I'm not too surprised, but it seems as though infection has set in… The slash marks will more than likely scar, but they weren't too severe or deep so they were fairly easy to clean… But this one," he said, signaling to the deep penetrating wound, "was not easy to clean out… I had a hunch that it would become infected…"**

"**See those thin red lines?" he continued on, pointing, "Those are often a sign of the start of infection."**

**He picked up a bottle full of clear liquid and poured some onto a cloth. **

"**This might sting a bit, but it might help to stop the infection before it spreads."**

**He rubbed the liquid around the edges of the wound which didn't bother me to much until he started to scrub deeper into the injury.**

"**There, that might help somewhat," he said and wrapped up the injury in fresh bandages.**

"**You haven't said a word yet, have you? Well, no need to be afraid, I don't bite," he laughed at his own predictable joke, "Well, you'll need to do some talking, because I have a few questions to ask you."**

**Great. I'm sure he's going to ask me a million questions about my hideous deformity.**

**To my surprise, he didn't. All he asked me were question about whether or not I was feeling feverish or delirious or nauseous. Sadly, I'd been feeling all three in worse stages as the minutes ticked away since I had woken up.**

"**You might be getting a fever due to infection… Is your abdomen paining you much?"**

**I could easily tolerate the amount of pain I was in, for I've had much worse, but considering I was already at the doctor's , I might as well let him give me something to alleviate the pain.**

**I nodded and the doctor injected me with a small amount of morphine. **

**Beaudreau began to put away his medical supplies and such. Just as he closed up his case, he turned to me a said, "Mademoiselle Daae's a nice girl. You're lucky to have her, my boy. She's definitely one to keep."**

**He winked and bid me good evening before stepping out of the room.**

**I began to relax a significant amount as I felt the morphine working and taking away most of my previous pain. I feel fast asleep before Christine even entered back into the room.**

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Christine's POV

_When Doctor Beaudreau exited the room, I walked in to find Erik fast asleep. He looked so peaceful in his sleep and all the pain and suffering that usually adorned Erik face was gone. _

_He sighed in his sleep as I gently brushed my hand over his unmasked face. _

_I was so relieved that Erik wasn't too seriously injured by Raoul. If I had lost Erik, I don't know what I would have done. I know that I would never be able to love another man like I love Erik. _

_Erik slept peacefully through to the next morning. He opened his eyes and groggily turned and looked at me._

"_Good morning, sleepy head," I giggled._

_He tiredly mumbled a greeting to me. I helped him up into a sitting position and he winced in pain as I did so._

"_Are you alright, Erik?"_

"_No…"_

"_What's wrong?"_

_I knew something had to be very wrong with Erik for him to admit that he didn't feel well._

"_I feel even worse than I did yesterday…," he groaned, laid back down on the bed, and tried to push the covers off of himself._

"_Are you hot, Erik?" I asked as I helped him to remove the thick quilt._

"_Extremely."_

_I placed my hand over his forehead and sure enough, he was burning up._

"_I'll go get the doctor."_

_Doctor Beaudreau rushed in quickly and took a look at Erik's stab wound. There was yellowish pus oozing out of the injury and the area around it seemed to be swollen. _

"_Just as I thought," Beaudreau mumbled to himself, "The infection in this wound didn't go away… Whatever instrument caused the injury must have not been very sanitary… He's suffering from a fever due to infection."_

"_How bad of a fever does he have?"_

"_Well, let's see."_

_Beaudreau took out a thermometer which he had Erik hold it his mouth for a while. _

_When he took out the thermometer, he read, "105 degrees Fahrenheit… That's not good…"_

_The doctor stood and told me he would be right back. _

"_Erik?" _

_No response._

"_Erik?"_

_Still no response._

_Beaudreau entered back into the room with a basin full of water and a washcloth. _

"_Doctor, why isn't Erik responding when I talk to him? He was talking just a while ago."_

"_He might be starting to get somewhat delusional from his high fever… Most importantly, I need to clean out the wound again to prevent further infection…"_

"_Is there anything I can do to help Erik?"_

_Doctor Beaudreau handed me the cold washcloth from the basin._

"_Hold this to his forehead. It should help to lower his fever."_

_I did so as the doctor scraped out the infectious substance from Erik's wound and scrubbed the area with rubbing alcohol well._

"_I'm going to go get some ice to help alleviate the swelling," Beaudreau said and left the room._

_I continued to carefully rub Erik's face with the cool cloth. _

"_Everything will be alright, Erik. I promise."_

_I kissed his deformed cheek lovingly and continued to try to keep him cool._

_Beaudreau returned promptly with some ice wrapped in a towel and laid the cool substance over the swelled area._

"_He should be alright for now," the doctor said, "Just call for me if his condition seems to worsen… And again, don't be alarmed if he seems a little delusional. That's normal for someone with a high fever… I'll be in my study if you need me, mademoiselle."_

_He left the room and I never left Erik's side once._

_Mostly, Erik just tossed and turned in his sleep. Sometimes he'd mumbled or even scream my name and I would hold his hand and, even though he probably couldn't hear me, I'd assure him that I was there. _

_He seemed to be having some nightmares, as occasionally, he would cry out things like, "NO! Please, don't let them hurt me! Christine! It hurts so bad… I don't want to be put back in that cage! Help me! Please, Christine!"_

_I would shush him and say, "Everything's going to be okay, Erik. I'm right here. I won't let anyone hurt you. It will be alright."_

_For both our sakes, I truly hoped that Erik would be alright._

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Erik's POV

**It had been two weeks since Raoul had stabbed me. I was feeling much better now… My fever had subsided for the most part. My wounds didn't pain me too much, except when I accidently twisted or turned my abdomen too quickly. The gash wounds closed pretty fast, but the stab wound in my right side still needed a bandage over it.**

**Doctor Beaudreau informed me that I was welcome to stay longer if I wished, but he said that I was well enough to return home. As kind as the doctor was, I was not intending to stay at his home any longer than necessary. **

**Christine helped me up out of bed even though I didn't need the assistance and we both sat down in the living room to wait for the carriage Christine had order to arrive soon to take us back to the Opera Populaire. **

**Doctor Beaudreau shuffled into the living room and took a seat in a worn leather armchair.**

"**Well, it was nice to meet you both... Just call for me if you ever have any problems and I'll be more than happy to be of assistance."**

**Christine thanked the man and shook hands with him, saying, "You are very kind. Erik and I appreciate your help… How much do we owe you?"**

"**Oh, nothing at all. I'm just glad to be of assistance."**

**This man deserved something to recompense for the inconvenience Christine and I caused him. **

**Normally, I didn't care much for people. I would take from them for my own needs and not pay a thought to the trouble I might have caused. After all, why should I care about them when no one has ever cared about me? Now, I have Christine who genuinely cares about me and loves me. She's changing me. I can no longer steal or hurt people so easily without regrets.**

"**Well," I spoke up, "I feel like I must pay you something, Monsieur."**

"**That's quite alright, my boy."**

"**I insist, so whether you like it or not, you will be receiving pay for your hospitality and assistance in the mail."**

**I definitely felt I should pay this man a significant sum of money, not for just his medical help, but mostly because he's been one of the few people I've encountered who has treated me like a normal human being. **

**There was a knock at the door, which Monique, Beaudreau's wife, answered.**

**After several moments, she turned and walked further into the living room to say, "The carriage is here."**

**Christine once again helped me to my feet and we bid Doctor Beaudreau goodbye. **

**The carriage ride back to the Opera was agonizingly slow due to traffic, so it took over an hour to get there.**

"**It would have been quicker to just walk!" I complained.**

"**Erik, you're in no condition to be walking long distances," Christine said.**

"**I feel fine, Christine," I assured.**

**We entered through one of the secret passages I had all over the Opera House and headed down to my home.**

**It took the longest time to get to the underground lake because Christine had me walk slower than a ninety year-old with no legs would walk. I could easily have walked much faster, but if being overly cautious would calm Christine's nerves, then I would gladly walk as slow as possible. Plus, I didn't mind one bit that Christine kept her arm around me for support that I did not need.**

**Once we finally got to my home, Christine insisted that I lie down and rest for awhile. When I laid down on my swan bed, Christine removed my mask and brushed her fingers across my marred cheek. **

"**Do you want me lie down next to you?" she asked.**

"**Are you certain you want to?" I responded.**

"**I'm completely sure," she said with much conviction. **

**I moved over to make room for her and she laid down beside me. Unlike the other times we've laid next to each other, this time, she curled up next to me very closely with her arm drape over my chest.**

"**I love you, Erik."**

"**And I love you so much, mon ange."**

**Having the woman I love lying next to me by her own choice, telling me that she loves me was the most wonderful feeling in the world.**

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Okay, that's the end of this chapter. Stay tuned for the next chapter—it's going to be an importantly awesome chapter! Seriously, probably going to be one of the most dramatic chapters yet!


	16. Beneath a Moonless Sky

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**Don't own Phantom!**

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Christine's POV

_I had expected to wake up that morning to the sound of Erik peaceful sleeping beside me. Instead, I awoke to the sound of dozens of angry voices and feet splashing through the lake. _

_Jolting up in bed, I shook the still sleeping Erik next to me awake. Groggily, he sat up and noticed the same noise that I had heard._

_He motion for me to stay put and be silent as he crept out of bed and peered out at where the noise was coming from._

_After several seconds of observing whatever was going on, he turned back around to face me. As he quietly approached me, another figure entered the room. I gasped in shock. It was Raoul!_

_The gasp I let out was enough to cause Erik to spin around and come face to face with Raoul._

_Raoul was the first one to speak._

"_So, you are alive and with that little wanton, Christine, in your bed. Why am I not surprised that that wh-"_

_Raoul didn't finish as Erik punched him in the face._

"_Don't you dare speak of Christine like that again!"_

_Another half a dozen or so men entered the room. Several I recognized as stagehands from the Opera and the other three looked like gendarmes._

_Raoul, whose face was now bloody, pointed to Erik and said to the men behind him, "That's him! That's the Phantom of the Opera!"_

_The men began to close in on Erik, but he was too fast for them and shot out of the room with me in tow._

_We entered into the main room only to find about another fifteen men out there destroying Erik's beautiful home. It brought tears my eyes._

_The men hadn't seen us enter yet and Erik dragged me over to a stone wall. _

"_I'll stay and fight them off, Christine. You need to run," he whispered in my ear._

_He pushed one stone in the wall and a small passageway opened up._

_He signaled for me to go through, but I stayed put._

"_Erik, I'm not going to leave you here alone!"_

"_There he is! There's the monster!"_

_The mob finally noticed us._

"_Go, Christine!"_

_Erik pushed me through the passageway and the stone wall closed behind me._

_I pounded my fists against the door and kicked and screamed Erik's name. I doubted that anyone could hear me though, because I could not hear them through the thick stone. _

_I continued to yell anyways until I fell silent from the ear-piercing sound of a gunshot coming from the other side of the stone wall. _

_What had happened? Was Erik hurt? I prayed to God that he wasn't._

_I collapsed in tears on the cold, hard floor and wept for what seemed like hours. I stood and tried to pull myself together before attempting to find an exit. I placed my hand on the wall so I would not end up walking around in circles in the dark and began treading forward. _

_The hallway was frigid and damp, but began to get warmer as I progressed further. Eventually, my hand bumped into something attached to the wall. Feeling around, I realized it was a lever of some sort. I also found that the hallway ended a foot or so in front of me. I decided to pull the lever, which cause the wall in front of me to open up._

_I stepped out to find myself in a room that was dusty and looked like it was seldom used. There was old furniture covered in heavy drapes and boxes of assorted trinkets scattered about the room. The room was fairly dark except for a few rays of early morning sun pouring through the window._

_I looked through the window and was met with a familiar sight… I was looking out at the Rue Scribe! I was still at the Opera Populaire! The tunnel must have led me to an unused room in the Opera House. _

_I heard a voice outside the room… Not just any voice though. It was Raoul de Chagny's. _

_I quickly hid behind an old dresser in the faintly lit room on the off chance that Raoul would enter. _

_I could hear more than one pair of footsteps alongside Raoul's. The footsteps stopped outside the door and my heart stopped as well._

_Raoul spoke to an unknown person._

"_Damn him! We had that beast in our clutches and he escaped! I swear, I will find that monster and destroy him!"_

_Erik escaped! Oh, thank God! He was somewhere out there and hopefully, he was okay. I just had to find him._

_An unfamiliar man's voice responded to Raoul, saying, "Sir, what about Mademoiselle Daae?"_

"_When I find her, I'll make sure that she gets to see the monster die in front of her."_

_I gasped slightly in horror upon hearing this. Suddenly, all the noise outside the door ceased. Had they heard me?_

_The door creaked open slowly and in walked Raoul and about half a dozen others. Raoul glanced about the room and walked closer to the dresser that I hid behind. My heart pounded hard in my chest as I felt Raoul approach closer and closer._

_I then heard a man cough and say, "It's dusty in here. Come on, Vicomte, let's go. Why are we in here anyhow?"_

_I was relieved upon hearing Raoul turn on his heels and walk out of the room with the other men. I waited several minutes after I heard the door slam shut before I dared to venture out of my hiding place. _

_I needed to leave the Opera House and start searching for Erik so I could find him before Raoul did. I didn't want to just walk out into the open though. Someone at the Opera might see me and tell Raoul. _

_I had an idea. I walked over to an oak wardrobe that sat in the corner of the room and pried open its doors. Thankfully, I found what I'd hoped to find in the wardrobe. I pulled out several tattered skirts, an old shirt, a heavy coat, a thick wool scarf, and a beaten-up green hat._

_After pulling the garments over my clothes, wrapping the scarf tightly around my face, and tugging the hat down low to hide myself, I found that I looked like a common homeless woman. This way, I could search for Erik without being spotted by Raoul and his men._

_Hopefully, I would find Erik before it was too late…_

…_._

_I had been searching every street in Paris for the past month and there was still no sign of Erik. _

_I had started my search a month ago in Erik's home. I had found the once awe-inspiring home in ruin. Everything that used to be so beautiful had been smashed to pieces or burned and everything of value had been stolen. Erik's prized organ was destroyed beyond repair and every music score had been reduced to ashes._

_The last room in Erik's home that I'd checked was his bedroom. After seeing how the other rooms were left in wreckage, I was not surprised to see that the bedroom was in no better condition. However, I was surprised to see that the monkey music box was left unscathed. So before I departed to continue my search elsewhere, I tucked the music box away and brought it with me. _

_Now, I was scouring the dark streets on the other side of the city. It was late at night and there were many more dark, desolate alleys than there were streetlamps. I continued on anyway because I was much more worried about finding Erik than I was scared of the tough-looking men who hung around outside of the taverns. _

_I was wrapped tightly in the cloak I was wearing in a vain attempt to protect myself from the chilly autumn air. I had the hood pulled low over my face and I stayed in the shadows of the buildings, so I doubt anyone paid me notice._

_At about midnight, I came across a small worn-down inn. I entered and walked up to the innkeeper who smelled like whiskey. _

_He slowly looked up at me and said in a slurred voice, "Can I help ya, mam'selle?"_

"… _Yes, I was wondering if you have seen a man wearing half of a white mask."_

"_A mask, huh?" the man paused in thought. "Yeah, there's a guy up in room 8 who checked in yesterday who had a mask on… Strange fellow…"_

_My face lit up in joy and I thanked the man. _

_Taking two steps at a time, I dashed up the stairs in search of room 8._

_It was a small inn, and I found the room I was looking for quickly._

_I knocked and, to my joy, Erik's voice answered!_

"_Go away!" he yelled._

"_Erik… It's me, Christine…"_

_A pause. _

_Several moments passed before the door opened to reveal a stunned Erik._

_He looked tired and weak. He wore the same clothes he was in the night Raoul and his men invaded his home, except now those clothes were tattered. _

"_Erik…," my eyes welled up in tears as I rushed forward and embraced him, "I've missed you so much."_

_He wrapped his arms around me and brought me into the room._

_The room was lit by only a single gas lamp which made the room feel quite dismal. Observing my surroundings, I found that the room was anything but spacious. There were a few pieces of worn-out furniture pressed up against the bleak, chipping wallpaper. These included a bed, a small table precariously standing on only three legs, and an old chest of drawers that was missing a few drawers to it. There was only one window which Erik had closed shut; I didn't care though, because I highly doubted that the view was very scenic._

_Erik led me further into the room, the floorboards creaking as I we walked across them. He offered me a seat on the edge of the bed, due to the fact that there were no chairs to sit on._

_Erik stood there looking at me in silence until I couldn't take his speechlessness any longer. Out of my bag, I took out the peculiar music box and handed it to him._

"_While I was searching for you, I went down to your home," I explained. "The mob destroyed almost everything, but this was left unscathed."_

_Erik picked up the music box, gently tracing its features with his fingers and staring down at it like it was the most valuable object in the world._

"_Thank you, Christine," he said as he walked over to the chest of drawers and placed the music box on top of it. "You must forgive my silence, my dear… I am just quite stunned to see you here… It seems like it's been forever since I last saw you, Angel."_

_He sat down next to me on the edge of the bed. _

"_It seems as if I have not seen you for a long while as well… That's how it feels when you are separated from someone you hold dear to your heart… You feel only halfway real…"_

_He gave me a slight, but meaningful smile that told me he felt the same way I did._

_I turned my gaze from him and stared across the small room at the music box. I became fixed, hypnotized almost, by the monkey figure's eyes._

"_Erik, where did you ever get that music box?" I questioned, turning my gaze back to him._

"_I made it myself, actually…"_

"_The monkey's so lifelike..."_

_He stared down at his hands, though I couldn't read the emotion on his face._

"_I based it off of a real monkey that I've seen…," he looked up at me and gave a slight chuckle, "But I'm not talking about Carlotta… She's much more of an oafish gorilla than a monkey."_

_I laughed a bit at this until Erik's face turned serious again._

"… _It was back when I was a young child and was in a gypsy freak show… There was a small monkey that was dressed in Persian robes and could play the cymbals to entertain the crowds… The monkey slept in a cramped cage next to mine…," he said the word 'cage' as if it were a curse word, "Sometimes, I would reach over and pet the poor creature or feed it some of the bread crusts that I was given to eat… I really enjoyed to pet and feed the monkey… But, one night, my master found me petting it and yelled at me because he thought that I would put some kind of demonic curse on the creature… He whipped me brutally for it and, from that night on, he kept my arms tied to the bars of the cage each and every night…"_

_I placed my lips on Erik's cheek and gave him a soft kiss, hoping to relieve some of the pain that his past brought up. Amidst all the pain, he found the strength to continue on…_

"_Nothing should have to live and die in a cage… You can't call your existence 'living' while entrapped behind bars like a beast."_

_He seemed to be talking more so to himself now than to me. Hearing him speak of his past brought tears to my eyes… What kind of life has my Angel known?_

"_No one should have to live in a cage… Especially not someone who has so much to offer the world," I said._

_I embraced him tenderly, but he moaned out in pain._

"_Erik, what's wrong?"_

_He rubbed his shoulder that I'd had my hand on and winced in pain._

"_What's wrong?" I asked again._

_He pulled down his shirt just enough for me to see a deep bullet wound on his shoulder._

"_Sadly, I was not able to escape Raoul's men completely unharmed…"_

_I gasped. So the gunshot I had heard last month injured Erik…_

"_Are you alright, my Angel?"_

"_Oh yes, I'm fine… I've had far worse injuries than this… It's just a little sore to the touch is all."_

_Thinking of the mob invading Erik's home and attacking him made me pondering on how Erik escaped._

"_Erik… how did you escape from Raoul's men?"_

_After I was injured by Raoul's men, I managed to escape through one of my hidden exits… Madame Giry helped to hide me from the gendarme and cared for my wounds in her apartment… Just yesterday, a couple of policemen had come to question Madame Giry… After that, I decided that it would be best for Madame Giry's safety if I left… I didn't want her caught aiding a criminal…"_

"_So, how long are you going to be staying here?"_

"_I don't know… It's too risky for me to return to the Opera Populaire. Yesterday, Madame had asked me where I would go… We both decided it would be best for me to leave France and start over somewhere else… Madame Giry instructed me to meet her in Calias as soon as it was safe for me to make the voyage there… I'll board the next ship out of the country."_

_I rested my hand on Erik's shoulder and said, "If you're going, then I'm coming with you."_

_He became silent before he turned and looked me in the eyes._

"_Are you sure, Christine? You have a life here in Paris… If you leave with me, you'd be throwing away your job at the Opera. You have a home at the Opera Populaire. You're paid and you have food on the table and a roof over your head… I have nothing left, Christine. If you go with me, I won't be able to guarantee you a cushy, stable life like the Vicomte could offer you… Are you sure that you wish to be in the company of a convict when you could have any man you desired?"_

_Here I was, offering Erik everything his heart yearned for and he was willing to squander it thinking that I'd be happier without him?_

"_Erik…," I pressed my hand to his cheek. "You _are _the man I desire."_

_Before he had time to react, I pressed my lips to his. Our lips melted together in a fiery display of passion as we kissed harder. I parted my lips and allowed his tongue to enter my mouth. What a thrilling sensation it was to kiss my Erik like this after so many weeks! I knew Erik felt the same way, because I could felt hot tears run down his face and land on my own. He wrapped his strong arms around my waist to pull me closer._

"_Oh Erik," I moaned._

_I caressed his shoulders gently, being careful not to touch the wound on his left shoulder. I then removed his mask and placed soft kisses over every inch of twisted flesh._

"_Christine," he cooed, almost singing my name in that beautiful voice of his._

_I don't know which one of us initiated it, but soon enough, we were beginning to undress each other. Erik untied the strings of my corset one by one as I continued to caress his now shirtless torso. My corset came off and I sat there, topless in front of Erik. Tenderly, I lifted up one of his hands and placed it over one of my breasts. He ran his hand down over it, moaning at the feeling. _

_He ran gentle kisses down the side of my neck as I began to undo the buttons of his trousers. As scarred as Erik's body was, I thought him to be beautiful. All that was left now was to pull off the rest of my dress and we would both be bare-naked in front of one another. He seemed too shy to remove my last garment, so I pulled it off for him. We sat there for endless moments, staring longingly at each other's bodies. Soon enough, Erik flipped me over on my back lovingly and he was now hovering above me, his hot breath on my neck. _

"… _Are you sure you want to do this, Christine?"_

_I smiled at him seductively and nodded with more certainty than ever._

_He smiled back and reached over to turn off the dimly flicking gas lamp, leaving us with only darkness and the harmonious bliss of each other's bodies._

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Erik's POV

**It was half past three in the morning as I gazed down upon my sweet Christine's beautiful body nestled against my chest, deep in sleep. She looked so peaceful and happy lying there with a small smile gracing her perfect lips. She was an angel, a beautiful angel which I had just poisoned with my monstrous body. Yet, when we were joined as one, she acted like I was as perfect as she was. She had cried out my name in ecstasy when I had entered into her. **

**Everything had seemed so perfect only an hour before… I didn't deserve to feel that kind of pleasure! What had I done? I had vowed to care for and protect my sweet Christine and now I had ruined her! Her first time making love was with a **_**monster! **_**I didn't deserve her, so why had I taken her?**

**I felt ashamed of my hideousness as I looked down upon her beauty. I'm a monster…**

**I knew that when she awoke, she would feel even more disgusted by me than I was. It had been so dark last night that she couldn't see my face. When she awoke, she would look upon the monster she gave herself to and be absolutely revolted…**

**She didn't know what she was asking when she asked to leave France with me. My Christine deserved so much more than a lowly beast… She would be better off here in Paris where she would be safe and secure. She would find a man far superior than me to spend the rest of her life with… I despised the thought of letting another man have my Angel, but it would be better for her to just forget me.**

**I rose from the bed being careful not to disturb Christine's sleeping form. I dressed myself and collected the small sack of belongings I had with me, most of which were necessary things Madame Giry had bought for me during the few weeks I spent in her apartment. Moving over to the chest of drawers, I picked up my monkey music box and careful placed it into my sack before flinging the bag over my shoulder. **

**I turned back to Christine and noticed that she was shivering from the sudden lack of my body heat. I removed my black cloak and draped it over her sleeping form. She snuggled into the soft material and sighed.**

**I breathlessly whispered a goodbye to Christine before turning to leave the room, not having the strength to take one last look at my Angel that I'd never see again… **

**I left the inn and began to aimlessly trudge down the black sidewalk beneath the lonely, moonless sky, leaving my heart behind me.**

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Christine's POV

_I awoke feeling more joy than ever until I rolled over to find Erik gone. Where was my Angel? I thought that perhaps he had left to get us some breakfast or maybe to use the restroom, but no, all of his things were gone. He left me. Why? Last night had been the best night of my life-I had finally become one with my Angel of Music… Erik had seemed so happy last night… _

_I suddenly perceived the feel of something soft draped over me. It was Erik's cloak. I wrapped myself within it, somehow hoping that it would protect me from having to face the reality that Erik was gone._

_I stayed there like that for over an hour, breathing in the scent of Erik's cologne on his cloak and staining the material with my tears, halfway expecting Erik to enter the room at any moment and embrace me… He never did… I lied there, wrapped in his cloak with tears dried to my cheeks, staring at the empty space on the dresser that Erik's music box had once rested._

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And that's it for this chapter! What shall happen next? Stay tuned!

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	17. Reunited

**Okay, thanks a ton for those of you who reviewed my last chapter! Here's the next one for you!**

**Again, I don't own Phantom!**

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Madame Giry's POV

I sat on the bench by the window and watched several seagulls fly overhead. It was getting late and the sun would set soon.

I was situated in a small, but cozy cottage near the shore of Calias. It had been about one month since Erik arrived here from Paris. Since then, he has been living with Meg and me in the cottage. He seemed to be acting extremely gloomy for the past month, preferring to stay locked up in his room, rarely even joining Meg and me to eat meals. He has practically been starving himself, he's eaten so little… I hear him cry out Christine's name in his sleep every night… He won't tell me what happened between Christine and him…

Meg did not make things much easier for Erik, bombarding him with a million questions… I tried to contain my daughter's inquisitiveness, but alas, it was very hard to stop her incessant questioning… She always addressed him as 'Monsieur le Phantom', even though I had told her his name's Erik.

Originally, the plan had been for Erik to leave on the next ship out of France, and for Meg and me to return to the Opera Populaire. Now though, I have come to realize that the gendarme have probably become suspicious as to my involvement with the Phantom, due to my sudden disappearance after the police had questioned me… I decided that it was probably best for me to leave France as well.

I wasn't really opposed to the idea; after all, I have lived in Paris since I was just a young girl. I was starting to feel like perhaps I needed a change of scenery. As vast as the Opera Populaire is, you start to find it small and tiresome after almost thirty years of living there.

Meg was not really opposed to leaving either. She was actually quite thrilled to be going somewhere new, since she has lived in the Opera House ever since she was born. She did feel regretful though about leaving her dear friend, Christine. Meg has not seen Christine since after the Masquerade party, so I think she believes that Christine is not ever coming back…

I myself am actually not sure about what had happened… Christine and Erik left partway through the Masquerade ball and then they both seemed to have disappeared until a few days after the ball, when Christine came back to the Opera Populaire. She explained to me that Raoul had injured Erik, and Erik was at a doctor's house recovering. She stayed for fifteen minutes or so to gather a few belongings and then hurried back to wherever Erik was…

Then, a couple weeks later, I found Erik practically collapsed on my doorstep with a gunshot wound. I took care of his injury and hid him safely away in my apartment… I learned that Raoul and a dozen or so men invaded and destroyed Erik's home beyond repair… I asked him where Christine was and he told me she was safe… He would not tell me anymore…

For a few weeks, Erik stayed in my apartment and I lied to the gendarme about what I knew. It was after the first visit with the police that Erik told me that he should go to protect me from being charged with aiding a criminal… I instructed him to meet me in Calias so he could escape France as soon as possible...

He followed those instructions, and arrived in Calias within a couple days… He seemed different though… Only two days previously, he had seemed alright, but from then up to now, he was certainly anything but alright. When he wasn't acting like a soulless shell of a man, he was in the deepest depths of despair. I guessed it to be somehow related to Christine, but I did not dare ask.

Last month, I had booked three tickets for the next ship that was going far away from France. Erik, Meg, and I would leave for America on November 16th, which was now only three days away. We didn't have much, just a bit of money I was able to pull together, Meg's belongings as well as mine, and some clothes and necessities that I had purchased for Erik to bring along. I could only wonder what America would hold for us…

"Madame…," a familiar voice called softly to me in such formality.

I turned around to see Erik, looking the same as he has for the past month—extremely thin and pale with dark circles under his eyes.

He continued, "I need some fresh air. I'm going to go for a walk around the pier."

I was slightly taken aback by this, since Erik had not left the house once in his month staying here- he rarely even left his room!

"Are you sure, Erik? It may possibly be dangerous for you to be out and about… You are a wanted man, you know… I would hate to see you blow your cover only days before we leave."

"It's almost sunset, Madame. I think I'll be fine. Not that many people will be out and I will hide in the shadows… Plus, it's quite chilly out, I'm sure that it would not look the least bit odd for me to have the hood of my cloak pulled over my face."

I nodded in agreement. Even if I hadn't agreed, it's not like I could do anything to stop him.

"I will be back in an hour or so, Madame," he said as he tied his cloak around his neck and pulled the hood down low over his face, almost completely covering the mask.

"Stay safe," I whispered as the door closed in his wake...

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Erik's POV

**After leaving the cottage, I began to walk aimlessly down the streets, hiding myself in the shadows of the buildings. It was nearly sunset and the streetlamps were already lit. Thankfully, there were not many people out tonight, probably due to how frigid it is this time of year by the seaside. **

**I walked past several homes, glancing in through one window to see a jolly man with his loving wife and children sitting down for supper like any normal family would… I was foolish to hope that someday I could have Christine as my wife and just be normal… I am not normal… I can never be like a normal man and have a wife who loves me, a family, a home above ground like everyone else, a job… Freaks can't be normal…**

**I walked further and further down the brick sidewalks until I reached the docks. No one seemed to be around, so I decided to walk on the dock that led farthest out into the sea. The sun had begun to set now, making it somewhat hard to see , considering there were no lampposts around, only a nearby lighthouse. **

**Making it to the very end of the dock, I sat down and dangled my legs over the edge. All I could think about was Christine. I had to let her go… But I didn't want to… The time I had spent with her had been the most joy-filled moments of my dismal existence. Christine had been my reason to live. What else did I have to live for? Everyday I awake to find myself still alive and breathing, but with no purpose in life.**

**It was Christine who kept me going all those years under the Opera. I taught her to sing and that was my purpose. When I would teach Christine, for the first time, I felt wanted… I had somewhere to be, someone waiting for me. Christine had actually looked forward to her Ange de Musique's visits every night. **

**Now, I had nothing. No one wanted me or needed me… My only reason to continue on is for the sake of merely existing and adding unnecessarily to the population. If I just jumped off this dock right now and let the waves claim me, who would notice or even care that I was missing?**

**I had always been miserable, but was always too afraid to end my own life… After all, suicide is the coward's way out… Now though, without my Christine, I wanted nothing more than for it all to just end so I wouldn't have to feel any more hurt and heartbreak.**

**I was actually about to jump into the sea, until I heard a familiar voice calling out my name. It was Christine.**

**She looked about the same as the last time I had seen her. Though she looked distraught and almost in tears at the moment. She had a dark green traveling dress on and was wrapped in a man's cloak… It took me a moment to realize it was **_**my **_**cloak she had draped around her shoulders. **

"**C-Christine," was all that came out of my mouth.**

**She sat down beside me on the edge of the dock, though she kept her distance. We sat there in silence for the longest of moments, me staring at her in wonder, halfway not believing her to be real, and her hugging her knees to her chest and entwining her fingers in the material of the cloak.**

**She was the first to speak.**

"**Erik… why did you leave me?" she said, barely above a whisper.**

**I seemed to choke on my words, and when I didn't answer, Christine repeated, quite louder, "Why? Why did you leave me? I gave myself to you, and you left me all alone the next morning like I was some prostitute!" her voice went from angry to breaking up in tears. "Y-You left me cold and alone and upset with no explanation… I've been searching endlessly for you for a whole month, thinking I'd never find you again… Why do you keep leaving me, Erik? Why?"**

**She was completely in tears now; her eyes were red and puffy. **

"… **Because you deserve so much more than a life with someone like me... You would be so much better off with someone else… Someone who could give you all you asked of them… All I have to give you is ugliness…"**

**Her head sank down into her lap as she mumbled into her skirts, "You still left me. You didn't even ask me if I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you or not. You made that decision for me and left me without a single warning!"**

**Her head shot up and she looked straight at me, her eyes burning with anger, "You never asked me what **_**I **_**wanted!"**

**Her anger spread like wildfire, and soon, I was angry as well.**

"**You don't know what you want! You're just a naïve child who doesn't understand what she's getting herself into! You want a life with me? I'm a wanted man! I'm a murderer, a thief, and a hideous freak! What kind of life could I give you? You want luxurious, grand things like I was able to give you back at the Opera? Well, I don't have anything now! Everything has been ripped away from me. If you stayed with me, I couldn't even provide for you and treat you to all the fine things someone like you deserves! All I have left to offer is myself. No magnificent and spectacular home—nothing! All I can give you now is myself and my love for you. And who would want me?"**

**My eyes stung with unshed tears as I breathed in heavily after my furious rant.**

**Christine just sat there, quivering, silent tears running down her pale cheeks.**

**Damn me! She had already been upset with me, and now, I probably made it ten times worse. **

"**Christine… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that… I'm just… just… I don't know what's wrong with me. I can't eat, I can't sleep, I'm irritable… I feel so lost without you…"**

**Then, she gave me something that I had thought I would never feel again… She embraced me, burying her tear-soaked face into my shoulder. **

"… **I forgive you, Erik… I shouldn't, but I do… I still love you with all my heart."**

**She still loved me? What a saint my Christine is!**

**Slowly, I lifted her chin up from my shoulder and tilted her head to face me. I tore off my mask then and threw it to the ground.**

**Looking at her with my now exposed and malformed face, I asked the question that I dreaded her answer to.**

"… **Are you sure you would want to spend the rest of your life looking at _this_ face****, Christine?" I pointed to my face. "I need an answer, and you must be sure of that answer, because if you wish to be mine, you would have to endure looking at this cursed face for eternity… Are you absolutely **_**sure**_** you want to be with me…?" **

**She continued staring into my eyes, her eyes glistening with the tears she shed earlier.**

"… **Yes, I am sure. I want to be with you forever and always."**

**She then smiled the most beautiful smile at me before pressing her lips to mine. Oh, how wonderful it felt after a whole month to have Christine kissing me once more! Funny how I was able to live for over thirty years without a single kiss, and yet, once Christine had given me my first kiss, I couldn't seem to bear to have her lips separated from mine for too long.**

"**I love you, Christine. I love you so much."**

**She smiled again and nestled her head back onto my shoulder as I held her ever so close, stroking her soft, curly hair. **

"**I can't live without you, Erik… After my father had died, I died inside and you brought me back to life… I can't feel alive without you."**

"**I feel the same way about you, Christine."**

**We sat there on the pier till long after the sun had set. We didn't say anything more to each other, only reveled in the other's nearness. Christine seemed distant though, and it wasn't her usual daydreamy haze either… I could sense that there was something of considerable importance on her mind instead of just the idle fantasies that were usually occupying her thoughts when there was nothing to be said.**

"**Christine, my angel… What's wrong?"**

**It took her a moment to snap out of her thoughts.**

"**Nothing. Nothing is wrong," she said so hurriedly that I could tell she was lying.**

"**Please, tell me what's troubling you."**

**She looked down and examined her hands in her lap.**

"**If I told you, I don't think you would be happy…"**

**I reached out and held both her hands in mine.**

"**I will not be upset with you, I promise this," I assured her.**

**She took a deep breath and looked into my eyes trustingly. The next words she said would inevitably change my life forever.**

"**Erik… I'm pregnant."**

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Okay, so some of you have NOT been reviewing my story! Seriously, it doesn't take that long to review, people! You can even submit a review without being a member! Those of you who ignore this message and continue on without submitting a review are totally jerks and are going on Santa's naughty list! And I can make that happen too. I have connections with Santa Claus. So if you don't want coal for Christmas, review! :D

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	18. What the Future Holds

**Okay, I have no excuse for why this chapter took so long for me to post… I've been lazy… Well, here's the next chapter, so, read and review and all that jazz!**

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Erik's POV

**At first, I was overjoyed by the news. I was going to be a father… Something I never thought I would be. I had never thought that someone like me would ever experience the wonder of fatherhood… Christine and I would have something that was part of both of us… Looking at my sweet Christine smiling up at me, I thought about how wonderful it was going to be for Christine and me to be parents.**

**My joy ceased when a thought occurred to me… What would the child look like? Would my hideous genes ruin our baby? Would the child be born as disfigured as me? Would it have to suffer through a life of pain and ridicule? What if the child turned out looking **_**worse **_**than me? Its whole face could be a deformed mess… It could be born will so many problems, it might not even live… **

**A million fretful questions streamed through my head… **_**I'm going to ruin our child, **_**was all I could think about. Would Christine hate me? She had just swore to me that she wished to be mine forever and always, but would she leave me if our child was horribly disfigured because of me?**

"**Erik," Christine said with her sweet angel voice full of sincere concern. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy?"**

**Her eyes glazed over in tears and her head sunk down low with disappointment.**

**I hated to see my angel this way, so, with the tip of my finger, I tilted her beautiful face up to meet mine and said in the same calming and melodious voice that I had used as her Angel, "Of course I am happy, my dear… I'm just worried…"**

**She gave me a sweet smile which soon turned to a looked of confusion. **

"… **Why are you worried, my love?"**

**Before I said a single word in response, I was taken aback at the realization that Christine had called me '**_**my love'. **_**I was filled with so much joy that it****almost quelled the feelings of dread I was having just seconds earlier. Never before have I been called by such an endearing phrase. I'd been called a freak, a monster, a demon, a beast, but never have I been called something so loving! Even my own mother had never once called me sweetheart or dearest…**

"**Erik?"**

**I realized that I had yet to reply to Christine's question.**

"… **I am just worried that the child will take after its father."**

**She grinned and responded, "You say that as if it's a bad thing. It would be wonderful if the child is as gifted and brilliant as you are."**

"**You know what I mean, Christine… I'm going to ruin our child. Our child will be hideous because of me."**

"**And why would that be?"**

"**Because I don't have the capability to create something beautiful… Any child with my genes will turn out to be monstrously ugly."**

"**If our baby looks like his father, then I think it will be so beautiful in every way…"**

**I sighed and held Christine by her shoulders, "… Christine, I don't know how you look upon my face without disgust, but if the child is born as deformed as I am, no matter how beautiful you think the baby is, the world will never accept it. The child will grow up into a world that loathes and fears it… People will taunt and wish only harm upon our child," what I said next was more to myself than to her, "It will have to endure the kind of life I have been cursed to live…"**

"… **Erik, even if the child is born… different, **_**we**_** will still love it with all our hearts, wouldn't we? Who cares what all those ignorant people out there say? Our child will be perfect and we will give it all the love that it deserves no matter what it looks like."**

**Christine laid a gentle, motherly hand on her stomach and stroked the unborn child.**

"… **You won't hate me if I ruin our child?"**

"**I could never hate you, Erik… And, like I said before, our baby won't be ruined, it will be absolutely perfect."**

**Tears welled in my eyes as I listened to the sincerity of her words.**

"**Oh, Christine!" I said as I swept her into my arms and twirled her about playfully. "You are just so wonderful!"**

"**I could say the same about you," she giggled as I set her down.**

**It was quite dark out now and I was certain that it was far past the time I had told Madame Giry I would be back to the cottage by.**

"**Erik? Madame Giry and Meg are here with you, right?"**

**I nodded. **

**She smiled and exclaimed, "I haven't seen them in ages! I'm so excited to tell them the news!"**

"**Well," I said as I extended my hand for her to take. "We shall have to go and see them then. I'm sure they've missed you."**

**Christine squeezed her hand against mine affectionately and rested her head against my shoulder as we walked back to the seaside cottage.**

**

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**

Madame Giry's POV

The hour was quite late now and Erik still had not returned from his walk. Where was he? Had he gotten hurt? Had someone recognized him and called for the police? A million questions like this passed through my mind as I sat watching the fire slowly fade into a heap of ashes.

As worried as I was, I did not go outside to search for him—it would be far too risky for a lone woman to be wandering about the city this late at night. Furthermore, I knew the Erik was plenty capable of taking care of himself. After all, he had survived on his own for years.

As hard as I tried to keep thinking about the possibility that he was alright, I still found my mind littered with thoughts of worry. Erik is practically like a son to me. I admit that our relationship is an unusual one (but who could have a 'normal' relationship with the Opera Ghost?), but ever since I helped rescue him from that freak show, I have felt a strong sense of motherly duty toward him. I know that he doesn't need me around, but I still want to be there for him if ever there's an occasion where he does desire my assistance.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door squeaking open. Hearing this, I turned around from where I sat on the divan to see Erik at the door. I expected him to immediately come in, but he did not. Instead, he lingered at the doorway holding the door open… Before I could say a word, I realized that he was holding the door open for someone… It was Christine! Mon Dieu!

Christine shuffled into the front hallway as Erik shut and locked the door behind her. Christine looked about examining her surroundings as Erik came to her side.

I stood to my feet and quickly closed the gap between myself and the couple standing at the doorway.

Christine immediately smiled upon seeing me.

"Madame Giry! I have missed you so much!"

"And I have missed you, my dear," I said and gently patted her on the shoulder.

My gaze turned to Erik. I noticed that he looked significantly different from how I saw him just mere hours before… He looked so changed… Was it _happiness _on his features that made him look so much different? Yes, he most definitely looked in high spirits as opposed to how glooming and depressed he had been before.

"You had me worried, Erik. I had thought that you had run into trouble."

"I'm sorry, Madame… Christine and I were discussing a few matters of utmost importance and time got away on us."

"Well, what's done is done. I'm just glad you two are safe… Now, come in and have a seat by the fireplace so you can warm up and then you can tell me what these 'matters of utmost importance' are."

I had a feeling that whatever Erik and Christine had been talking about privately was something I should be informed about as well.

Erik and Christine both took a seat on the couch and I sat down in a nearby armchair.

"Now, if you would be so kind as to tell me what is going on between you two?" I questioned.

Before a single word could be said, I heard rushed footsteps coming down the stairway.

"Christine!" Meg exclaimed as she burst into the room.

"Meg!"

The two girls laughed and embraced each other.

"Oh Christine, I've been sooo lonely without you here! Where have you been all this time? I feel like I haven't seen you in centuries!"

"It's kind of a long story, Meg. I will tell you later… First though, I have some big news for you and your mother… Why don't you sit down with us?"

Meg sat down on one of the armchairs looking anxious to hear whatever it was that Christine had to announce.

Christine took her seat back next to Erik and smiled.

"I'm pregnant!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

I was shocked beyond belief upon hearing this. No matter how hard I tried, I could not fathom the idea of Christine being with child. She was such an innocent and virtuous young woman. It seemed like it was only yesterday that she had first stepped foot in the Opera Populaire, only seven years-old, quite scared and shy… She was just a little girl… Now, she was soon to be a mother! My God, where have the years gone?

I began to wonder if this pregnancy had been intended or by accident… I was quite sure that the father was Erik. Otherwise, I doubt Christine would be here with him right now, holding his hand and dreamily gazing into his eyes every so often.

I knew that Christine had always wanted to have children someday, so I knew she was happy about her pregnancy, but what of Erik? I glanced in his direction with a questioning look written on my face. He merely smiled as if to let me know that he was happy to be the father of Christine's unborn child.

"Oh, Christine! I'm so happy for you!" Meg squealed in delight and began chattering away with a million questions for Christine.

At that moment, I had the perfect opportunity to talk to Erik in private.

"Erik, may I speak to you for a moment in the kitchen?"

He nodded and stood to his feet, his hand leaving Christine's grasp reluctantly.

Before I made it halfway to the kitchen, I was stopped by Christine's voice.

"Madame Giry… You have not said anything yet to me about my child…," she said in disappointment.

I knew she wasn't going to be content until I gave a response to her big news.

I turned to her and said quietly, "I'm certain that you will make a wonderful mother."

She gave me a beaming smile before turning back to chat with Meg.

Erik and I entered the kitchen before I shut the door behind us.

"I have a hunch as to why you wanted to speak with me privately, Madame," he said in a monotone voice as he leaned back against the pantry door with his arms folded across his torso.

"Erik, I'm not here to berate you. I just wish to have a better understanding of the events which have taken place between you and Christine recently."

Erik sighed and said after a long pause, "What do you wish to know?"

"Well, first of all, as intrusive a question as this is, when did you and Christine...?"

"She came to me one night while I was staying at an inn on the other side of Paris just before I left for Calais… It was completely of her free will, Madame…"

"I never accused you of such a thing, Erik… You're far too much of a gentleman to do such a thing… But, when you came to Calais, why did you not bring Christine with you?"

His eyes shut tightly as if reliving the memory of something that he now regretted doing.

"… Because I left her… Because I left her and I'm a horrible person! Before the sun could rise… I left out of shame and cowardice… I didn't and still don't deserve her… She's so good and pure… and I'm a monster…"

That attitude was so typical of Erik… He found something that made him happy, but denied himself happiness due to thinking he wasn't deserving of it. Even such basic things that everyone is entitled to, like to love and be loved in return.

"Erik," I sighed. "You need to give yourself a chance at happiness… Christine is happy, so you should be too… But the more important thing is whether you will stay this time… I would never forgive you if you left Christine all alone again."

"No worries, Madame. I may have said that I do not deserve her, but I have every intent of staying by her side for as long as she wishes for me to remain there… I love her and I wouldn't dream of leaving her alone while she's with child… I'm actually glad that Christine and I will have a child together. At first, I was worried about what the child may look like, but Christine and I talked that matter over… She swears that she does not care if our child is born disfigured… As unworthy as I am of having the joy of a beautiful wife and child, I will stay with Christine till the day I die…"

"That's good to hear, Erik… A word of advice though; whether you believe it or not, it's up to you to decide if you are worthy of Christine… I know that you can be the man she deserves… Just make sure that you take good care of her."

"I will."

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Christine's POV

_After five minutes or so, Erik and Madame Giry came back into the sitting room. I gave Erik a big smile as he sat back down next to me. He smiled back and held my hand in his like he had been doing before._

"_Christine," Madame Giry began as she took her seat back down on the armchair. "As Erik has probably told you, we are leaving for America in three days time. Tomorrow, we will see about getting a ticket for you to come along as well… It shouldn't be too difficult to get you a ticket. After all, not near as many people travel in this season as they do when it's warmer out…"_

_A thought occurred to me then._

"_I forgot about my belongings… I was able to avoid Raoul's men and snuck back to the Opera House to gather my things… I had not expected to return, so I brought pretty much everything I need or want with me… I've been staying at an inn not far from here. I should pick my things up from there soon."_

_Erik spoke first, "I'll get them for you tonight, my angel."_

"_It's late, Erik. You don't have to do that."_

"_I insist," he said._

_Erik got up from where he was sitting and started making his way toward the door._

"_Which inn were you staying at?" he asked._

"La Auberge au Bord de la Mer_ (French for "The Inn by the Seaside") on the Rue de Beselare. My things are in room 9," I replied. "But you'll need my room key."_

_Before I could search for the key in my pocket, the key appeared in Erik's hand out of seemingly nowhere. _

"_You mean this key?" he joked, dangling the key in his hand._

"_H-How did you do that?" I asked, dumbfounded._

_He turned back towards the doorway and fastened his cloak around his neck._

"_A magician never reveals his secrets," he responded and walked out the door into the night._

"_Be careful!" I called after him._

"_Don't worry," was his reply._

_The door shut and the room fell silent for only a few moments until Meg chimed in._

"_Christine, you can stay in my room if you want-there are two beds."_

_I nodded and Meg took me upstairs to a hallway with four doors; three were bedrooms and the other was a small bathroom._

_Meg led me to the second to the last door and gestured for me to go ahead in._

"_Well, make yourself at home, Christine. I know it's small, but hey, _you _only have to stay here for a few days, _I've _been cramped up in here night after night for the past month!"_

_Meg and I sat down on the edge of her bed._

"_I'm sooo happy that you're here, Christine! It's been really boring and lonely without you… This is just like back at the Opera, isn't it? You and me staying up talking the night away... I always thought it'd be great to have my own room, but after leaving the Opera, I found that I really missed sleeping in the ballet dormitory… Cause when you have a room all to yourself, there's no one around to gossip with!"_

"_I'm glad to see you too, Meg. It's been lonely for me as well for the past month."_

_Meg winked, "But now you have Monsieur le Fantôme around again!"_

"_Yes, I'm so relieved that I'd been able to find Erik after-" _

_I had forgotten that Meg didn't know about how Erik left after we made love!_

"_Find him after what?"_

_I was trapped and had to tell Meg the truth._

"_Well, after Erik and me… you know…," I replied bashfully._

"_He walked off after you slept with him!" she exclaimed, relishing the largest piece of gossip she'd heard in over a month._

"… _It's complicated… He's so self-conscious."_

"_You have to tell me everything!" she squealed._

_I gave Meg the whole story as she had asked me to; everything from when Raoul and his men destroyed Erik's home to when I found Erik in Calais._

"_Wow, that's so dramatic! It's just like all of those love stories in operas! That's the best story I've ever heard, Christine!"_

"_It's not a story, Meg! It's my _life!"

"_Well, that doesn't mean that it's not a juicy story!" _

_I sighed. I really had missed Meg, I had even kind of missed her constant chatter and gossiping._

"_So, you and le Fantôme will be getting married, right?"_

_I hadn't thought of that before for some odd reason, but the idea thrilled me._

"_I hope so… I doubt Erik would have any objections to making me his wife."_

"_You'll be such a lovely bride, Christine! You better invite me to the wedding though!"_

"_Of course, Meg."_

_After a pause Meg asked, "What's it like?"_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_You know, being a soon to be mother!"_

"_It's wonderful, but I'm not that far into the pregnancy yet, Meg… I'm sure I will be even happier than I am now once the baby starts to grow more."_

_A knock occurred at the door. _

"_Come in!" Meg shouted._

_The door opened to reveal Erik standing in the hallway with my suitcase._

_I got up from off the bed and closed the distance between me and Erik._

"_Thank you so much, Erik," I said and placed a soft kiss on his unmasked cheek._

_Erik kissed me back and set my suitcase next to the bed. _

"_I will see you in the morning then, my angel," he said._

"_Goodnight, Erik," I replied and smiled at him as he left the room._

_Meg and I changed into our nightgowns and turned off the lights. After such a long and tiring day, I fell asleep almost immediately after my head hit the pillow._

_Morning came quickly, and after breakfast, Madame Giry went out to buy me a ticket for the voyage. Meg and I decided to go into town to shop a bit for things we would need on the three week long boat trip._

_After we bought some essentials, we stopped at the market to pick up some groceries for dinner._

_On our way home, Meg and I passed a small boutique that had a wedding dress in the front window. It was lovely, but quite expensive… It was a shame that the beautiful wedding dress Erik had for me was destroyed by the mob… But it did not matter if I had a beautiful dress or not. I didn't need a fancy gown to have a perfect wedding with Erik. _

_It was late afternoon when Meg and I returned to the cottage. Erik was sitting at a small desk in the corner of the living room completely engrossed in writing music._

_I snuck up behind him and wrapped my arms around his back. _

"_What are you working on?" I asked, playfully trailing kisses down his neck._

"_Writing something for you, my love."_

_Meg called from across the room, "Sorry to break up the moment, Christine, but help me carry these grocery bags in."_

"_Oh! Sorry, Meg."_

_I rushed over and helped carry a few bags into the kitchen. Madame Giry was by the stove cooking something in a pot._

"_There you girls are. Did you get the ingredients I asked for?"_

_Meg nodded and began to help prepare dinner._

"_Christine, I got you a ticket for the trip to America… It's lucky that I purchased it at the time I did—they only had a few more spots open… You'll be rooming with Erik, and Meg and I will be in the cabin just down the hall from you two."_

"_That's wonderful! Thank you, Madame."_

"_That's no problem. We're glad to have you coming along."_

_I didn't want to just stand there while Madame Giry and Meg were doing all the work, so I walked over to the cabinet and began to set the plates and glasses on the dining table._

"_Christine," Madame said._

"_Yes?"_

"_You're planning on marrying Erik, correct?"_

_I nodded._

"_In that case, I have something I want to show you."_

"_Now?"_

"_Yes. Meg, keep an eye on the soup—don't let it overheat."_

_Madame and I left the kitchen and she led me upstairs and into the first bedroom down the hallway. I guessed it to be hers as she knelt down and opened a wooden chest at the foot of the bed._

"_Am I right to assume that you do not have a wedding dress to wear?"_

_I nodded._

"_I thought so," she said, gently pulling out a folded up heap of ivory lace and silk and handing it to me. "I thought you could wear this… It's the dress I wore when I married Jules…"_

_It was her dress? I couldn't possibly accept it._

"_Madame, this is very kind of you, but I couldn't possibly wear your dress."_

"_Nonsense, I _want _you to wear it, my dear… You're like a daughter to me, and I want you to have a lovely dress to wear on your wedding."_

"_Thank you, Madame."_

"_Well, try it on."_

_I took the dress behind the changing screen that was set up in the corner of the room and pulled the dress over my head. It took a minute or two to get the ruffles and lace all straightened out, but when I got the dress on and looked in the mirror, I felt beautiful. _

_The dress wasn't anything too fancy, but it wasn't plain either. It was all ivory color with short lacey sleeves trimmed with ribbon and a long, flowing skirt made of layers of lace. _

_I stepped out from behind the screen for Madame to see me._

"_Oh, it's perfect on you," she gasped. "All you need is the veil."_

_She dug in the wooden chest once more and pulled out the long, shimmery veil and placed it on my head._

"_There… What a lovely bride you will be, Christine."_

"_Thank you… I want Erik and me to be married as soon as possible."_

"_Well," she sighed. "I'm afraid you will have to wait until we arrive in America… It probably would not be the best idea for Erik to go out and get married now… Who knows, the priest may know about the Phantom… It's best for Erik to keep a low profile right now and try not to leave the house unless necessary."_

"_You're right. It will be safer to be wed once we arrive in America."_

_Meg's voice called from downstairs, "Dinner's ready!"_

_I changed quickly back into my green housedress, folded up the wedding gown, and placed it back in the wooden chest with the veil._

_Supper went by quickly, and before I knew it, it was time for bed. _

_As I laid there in bed curled under the covers, I thought about how when tomorrow came, I would be one day closer to arriving in America and marrying my angel… I could only wonder what America would hold for us..._

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Okay, that's the end of the chapter! I apologize again for making you all wait so long for this chapter to be posted… I made it a long chapter though! Seriously, this is the longest chapter yet! The next chapter shouldn't take too long to post, because for the next three days, I'm being forced to go with my family on a tennis trip. So, I'll have nothing better to do than work on my fanfic… After all, what else would I do? Watch tennis! HA!

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	19. The Journey

**Okay, as you all know, for the past few days I've been watching the US Open in Cincinnati… Now, I **_**thought **_**I'd be bored out of my skull because watching sports is one of my least favorite things to do… **

**But I have to admit, dare I say it, I had FUN these past three days. It's actually really neat to watch tennis being played by professionals… They all hit the ball at anywhere from 100-150mph! It's like those players are superhuman. The most amazing part of my trip was getting Rafael Nadal's autograph. Don't know who that is? He's the number one tennis player in the world and one of the greatest players of all time (plus he's REALLY hot!). I had to fight my way through hundreds of fans to get his autograph. It was nearly impossible to get, but I got it! I rock! So, I'm on a ten hour bus ride home now and I've got time to write… On with the story!**

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Christine's POV

_The days flew by, and before I knew it, the day of our departure was here. It didn't seem real until we actually arrived at the Calais docks… I couldn't believe that I would soon be leaving France and probably not coming back… At least not anytime soon… _

_It was a beautiful day for traveling… The sky was blue as can be, the water was calm, and it was a pretty decent temperature considering that it was late autumn and all. _

_We were traveling third class so we had to stand out on the docks until the first and second class passengers were loaded onto the ship. Thankfully, when we boarded, no one seemed to notice Erik who had his cloak hood pulled down low over his masked face. _

_Once on the ship, Erik and I found our room which was on one of the lower decks and down the hall from Madame Giry's and Meg's cabin. The room was very small and furnished simply with two beds, a chest, a table with a couple of chairs, and a bathroom… It was pretty nice, but I knew it would be hard to be confined in here for three weeks; especially for Erik whom Madame Giry told to leave the room as little as possible. _

"_I have a feeling that this shall be a long trip," Erik groaned._

"_It will be okay, Erik… And once we arrive in America, we'll get married."_

_Erik smiled and cupped my face in his gloved hands, "I love you, Christine."_

"_And I love you," I replied and teased him with kisses on his cheeks and neck, until eventually, when he couldn't take it any longer, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me in for a deep, passionate kiss. _

_As soon as we parted, a knock at the door occurred and a man's voice came from behind the door. _

"_The ship shall be departing in ten minutes. Passengers may feel free to gather on the main deck to watch us depart."_

"_Alright, thank you," I replied to the unseen man. _

_I turned back to Erik and sighed, "It's a shame that you can't go up to the deck… but it is best for you to stay here in the room…"_

"_Well, you go ahead up onto the main deck. I'll be fine here," he replied._

"_Are you sure?"_

_He nodded and, after giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, I raced up to the main deck as excited as a child on Christmas day… I had only traveled on a ship once before in my life when I was very young and first left Sweden with my father…_

_The breeze on the deck was cool and several seagulls flew overhead as I leaned against the rail. The ship horn blew three times before I felt the boat begin to move. The waves crashed up against the side of the ship as the shore of France grew farther and farther away… France is such a beautiful country and I really couldn't help but to feel sad that we were leaving life there behind… I could only hope that America would be just as beautiful…_

_After admiring the view from off of the side of the ship for a good fifteen minutes or so, I began to slowly make my way through the densely packed crowds back to the room._

_Once I finally got back down to the lower deck and to our room, I knocked on the door expecting Erik to answer it. When nothing happened, I knocked again louder. Still nothing. I tried the doorknob and found it to be unlocked. _

_Upon entering, I realized that Erik was not in the room. I began to panic until I heard an awful sound emitting from the bathroom. Without knocking, I entered the small bathroom to find Erik on his knees with his head hanging over the chamber pot vomiting. _

"_Erik, what's wrong?" I asked, huddling over close to him and rubbing his back as he continued to vomit._

_When he was finished, I handed him a towel to wipe his mouth with._

"_Are you getting ill?"_

_He looked over at me and shook his head, "No, I just get motion sick quite easily, I'm afraid."_

_He heaved into the chamber pot once again._

"_You should have told me that before, Erik."_

"_I guess I'd forgotten how ill I get… It's not like I traveled much in my time under the Opera."_

"_When was the last time you got motion sick?"_

"… _When I was a young child," he said quietly. "Back when I was a prisoner in that freak show… I was taken from place to place all across Europe in a cage on wheels… I would vomit all over and my master would beat me for it…"_

_My poor Erik has lived such a horrible live riddled with pain and sorrow… I could only hope that once we were married, I could ease his torment…_

_Lovingly, I wrapped my arms around him and helped him walk over to one of the beds. I laid him down and removed his mask and wig, placing them on the nightstand. I could tell that he still felt quite nauseous. _

"_Just lie down and try to relax, Erik… I'm sure you will get used to all this rocking around…," I said, placing a kiss on his forehead instead of his slightly vomit-covered lips._

"_Here," I said as I handed him a cloth again to wipe his mouth clean with._

"_I must look absolutely pathetic… You shouldn't have to take care of me, Christine."_

_I smiled and brushed a few strands of hair out of his face, "Of course I'm going to take care of you, Erik… After all, I am your fiancée."_

"_You're just so wonderful, Christine."_

_I wanted to talk to him about something that would get his mind off of how ill he was feeling._

"… _Madame Giry brought along her wedding dress… She's going to let me wear it when I marry you."_

_Erik smiled and whispered, "Are you sure you want to be my wife?"_

"_Positive," I said._

_We sat in silence for several moments until a thought occurred to me, "Where exactly are we going to in America anyways?"_

_Erik gave me a playful grin, "So Christine Daae got on this ship without even knowing where it's headed to?"_

"_I didn't bother ever asking because I didn't and still don't care. I just want to be with you, so I don't care where we're going."_

"_Well, we're headed to Coney Island, my dear."_

"_Coney Island? What a strange name for a place…"_

"_We will be in Manhattan, Christine. Right by the sea… Coney Island is filled with rides and attractions and games…"_

"_I think that would be a wonderful place to raise our child… Can you promise me something, Erik?"_

"_I'd do anything for you, my love."_

"… _I know we probably won't be able to afford it when we first arrive in Manhattan, but could you promise me that someday when we do have the money, we can buy a cottage right by the seaside? That would make me so happy, Erik… It would be just like when I lived in Perros with my father…"_

"_If that would make my future wife happy, then I promise her that she shall live in the most beautiful house right by the sea as soon as I have the money buy materials."_

"_Buy materials? Why not just buy a house that's already made?"_

_He placed his hand up against my cheek and said, "Because, if I didn't build the house myself, then it wouldn't be perfect for Christine… I want every detail of the house to be exactly as you say…"_

"_Thank you so much, Erik… You do so many wonderful things for me, that I feel I should do more for you."_

"_You already give me everything I could possibly want, Christine. Just having you love me is the only gift I need... But you still give me more. Right now, you are carrying such a wonderful gift," he cooed, moving his gloved hand from my cheek down to my stomach where our unborn baby was. _

"_Do you want a girl or a boy?" I asked._

_Erik's eyebrows furrowed as they always did when he was thinking until he finally said, "I hope that you have a baby girl."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because, if the child is a girl, I'm sure she'll be every bit as beautiful as her mother."_

_I blushed at his comment and replied, "If the child is a girl, what do you think we should name her?"_

_His eyebrows furrowed once again in thought, "… Cosette maybe… Or perhaps Chantelle… That would be a good name…"_

"_Chantelle… I like it. It means 'to sing', doesn't it?"_

_He nodded in assent and said, "I think that would fit perfect… Our child will have a beautiful voice…"_

"_And I'm sure he or she will be a brilliant musician just like their father."_

"_You flatter me, Christine."_

_Erik and I spent the rest of the day talking and discussing plans for when we arrived in America. At dinner time, a couple trays of food were sent to our room. The food was of cheap quality, but was decent enough. _

_By the time it was nearly midnight, both Erik and I were still wide awake. From the window of our cabin I could see a blanket of stars covering the autumn sky and a full moon shining in the heavens, flickering a dancing yellow glow across the waves._

_To my surprise, I felt two cold, gloved hands caress my shoulders and pull me close… I didn't even have to look to know that it was Erik behind me._

"_It's a beautiful night, Christine… Would you like to go up on the deck? I'm sure it will be just the two of us under the night sky."_

"_I thought you were feeling ill, Erik," I said as I finally turned to face him._

"_Not so much anymore… I think the fresh sea air will do me some good anyway," he responded and stretched out his hand which I eagerly took._

_As long as I was holding Erik's hand, I would follow him anywhere… From the moment he'd first beckoned me from behind the mirror, I knew that I could never resist following him when his graceful hand, clad in black leather, summoned me near._

_We ascended up to the main deck which was completely void of live. It was just Erik and me in the still night with the only light being the soft glow of the moon._

_I immediately pulled Erik over to the rail so he could view the glittering waves crashing up against the side of the ship. _

"_It's so peaceful up here… This morning, it was so noisy and crowded, I could barely enjoy the beauty of the ocean… It's nice being up here with just you, angel." _

"_Would you like to dance, Christine?"_

"_Dance? There's no music."_

_He smiled and said, "Just close your eyes and feel the music inside your mind."_

"_Feel?"_

"_True musicians feel the music, not hear it… And I know you are a true musician, Christine Daae, so feel the music inside you."_

_My Erik had such a way with words._

_Slowly, he wrapped his arm around my waist and with his other hand, held my own as we began to sway side to side, just as we'd done at the Masquerade ball, our heartbeats in sync with each other._

_We danced for the longest time under the moonlight, completely absorbed in each other's loving gaze. When I began to get tired, Erik scooped me up into his strong arms and carried me back to our room._

_He laid me down on the bed and covered up my already half-asleep form with the blankets._

"_Sweet dreams, Mon Ange," were the last whispered words I heard before drifting off into dreamless slumber._

**

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Erik's POV

**My God, I couldn't tolerate being on this ship a moment longer… It had been a little over a week since we boarded, and still, we had about another week to go… **

**I had to stay within the cramped confines of our cabin to avoid being recognized by other passengers… This made the trip only ten times worse… Only late at night could I wander freely around the ship... I still felt like a caged animal though…**

**Christine slept peacefully on the bed across from mine, and by across, I mean about ten inches away from me. Why did these third class cabins have to be so damn small? Her dark eyes fluttered open and, upon see me next to her, she smiled beautifully.**

"**Good morning, Erik."**

"**Did you sleep well, my love?"**

"**Yes," she replied and sat up in bed, "I-"**

**Before she uttered another word, she shot off like lightening into the bathroom. I followed her and found that she was vomiting into the chamber pot. **

"**Are you alright, Christine? I thought you said you didn't get motion sick…"**

"**I don't," she gagged.**

**I rubbed her back as she vomited once more.**

"**I-It's just morning sickness. I'll be fine, Erik," she said when she was done.**

"**Morning sickness?"**

**She stood up and walked back over to her bed, "Yes, don't you know what that is, Erik? I'm not sick, I'm only throwing up because I'm pregnant."**

"**Well, pregnancy isn't exactly a topic that I've done much research on," I chuckled. "When will this stop?"  
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"**Oh, women usually start vomiting in the mornings when there about six weeks through the pregnancy and stop at about twelve weeks."**

**I sat down next to her and laid my hand over her stomach.**

"**It's hard to believe there is life growing inside you, my love," I said.**

"**I'm so excited, Erik. I can't wait to be a mother… And you'll make such a wonderful father."**

"**I doubt that, Christine."**

"**And why's that?" she questioned.**

"**What child would want someone like me as their father? The child will hate me."**

"**Erik, don't say things like that! You'll make a wonderful father and our child will love you."**

"**How could it love this?" I said, pointing to my face.**

"… **It will love you because it will be used to your face, your voice, everything about you… Children love their parents because they're comforting and familiar… Society may fear what they don't understand, but our child will understand you… Our child won't fear you, Erik."**

**I smiled at this… Christine always seemed to know what to say… She was insightful for her years.**

"**Plus, I'm sure our child will be talented. You can teach them to sing and play the violin and paint and show them all you know about architecture and composing and magic tricks… Our child will have the best teacher in the world."**

**This thought sparked a light of joy inside my heart. I would soon have a child to teach everything I knew… Teaching Christine to sing had been an overwhelmingly happy and satisfying experience, but now, her mastery of vocal technique was so astounding, she hardly needed my guidance any longer. Now, I would soon be a teacher once again...**

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**Before we knew it, we were mere hours from Ellis Island, our first step to entering America… We were so close, all we needed to do was get past the hectic process of getting through all the paperwork and medical exams once we left the ship… It will be a challenge in itself just to make our way through the crowds of thousands of other immigrants trying to get into America… I was not looking forward to it. Here on the ship, I was at least able to stay in our cabin where no one could gawk at my mask, but once we left the safety of the ship, we would be trapped in crowds and crowds of people who I knew would laugh and stare at me… Poor Christine would be ridiculed for being with me as well. She claimed she didn't care, but I still hated have her taunted because of what an embarrassment I was…**

**A knock came at our door and a man's voice, the same one that told us when the ship was taking off from Calias, sounded from outside the door, "We'll be docking at Ellis Island shortly. Gather all of your belongings and be on the deck in fifteen minutes."**

"**Well, shall we?" Christine asked pointing to our suitcases that we'd packed earlier that day.**

**I nodded, nervous about going into the crowd of people, and grabbed both our suitcases after I pulled the hood of my cloak over my head to help cover my mask.**

**As we walked out into the hallway, we met up with Madame Giry and Meg and ascended to the main deck.**

**Christine looked beautiful with her beaming smile as she ran through the crowds to get a good glimpse over the side of the ship.**

"**Erik, look!" she exclaimed.**

**I joined her side and looked in the direction she was pointing to… It was the Statue of Liberty… **

"**Isn't it beautiful?" she said.**

**I nodded as Christine pulled me into a tender embrace.**

"**We're going to have a wonderful life here, Erik."**

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!NOTICE: Christine and Erik's baby is NOT going to be Gustave. Too many people are using that now after LND, so I want to try something different. BUT, if you guys really want the child to be Gustave, just mention that in a review and if I get enough people wanting Gustave in the story, I'll put him in.!

**MORE TO COME! REVIEW!**


	20. Beginning Anew

**Okay, chapter 20! Hooray! Thank you all for sticking with this story and leaving such awesome reviews! **

**Note: I did some research on Ellis Island, so a lot of the information in this chapter is fairly accurate. For those of you who don't know what Ellis Island is, it was where immigrants were processed before they could enter the country.**

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Erik's POV

**Ellis Island slowly came into view from over the horizon; our first glimpse of land for weeks… The ship docked and the first class passengers disembarked with their butlers and maids carrying massive amounts of luggage. Of course, the rich did not need to go through the long, tedious process at Ellis Island; they merely boarded the ferry, filled out a bit of paperwork and were admitted into the country. As for the majority of us who were third class passengers, we had to stand with our luggage for about an hour before we disembarked and had to start the long journey of going through countless exams and heaps of paperwork… If we were lucky, we'd be off the island in about five hours… Though I've heard that often enough, immigrants spent up to a day on the island… I wished that I had the money to provide my Christine with all the extravagant luxuries gifted to the upper class… She didn't deserve all the hassle and hardships of being dirt poor like we were now… I only hoped the even though we would be last for everything on the island because we were third class passengers, that we would still be able to get through the island at a fairly speedy pace… Christine was pregnant for God's sake! She shouldn't have to stand in a stuffy, humid building with nowhere to sit for hours… I swear, if we have to wait for countless hours, I'm just going to carry my Christine through the crowds… **

**After about an hour of standing up on the main deck looking over at the gigantic building on shore, we were able to disembark. I carried all of our luggage as we began our descent into the masses of people from every country and speaking every language. Once we arrived in the building, Christine and I realized that we had become separated from Madame Giry and Meg… Oh well, it didn't really matter. We would meet up with them later. **

**We ascended up a couple flights of marble stairs at a painfully slow pace… We didn't even know where the damn stairs led! But, everyone else was going that way, so I surmised that it was the right direction to head…**

**At the top of the stairs, Christine and I were pulled off for a medical exam into separate areas which were curtained off by heavy white drapes. The doctor, who looked unsympathetic and uncaring, approached me and asked me to remove the hood of my cloak from my face. He seemed understandably taken back by my masked appearance, but continued on with the examination anyways… Mostly, he wanted to check if I had trachoma or tuberculosis… Too my embarrassment, he had me remove my shirt, exposing the multitude of ugly, twisted scars on my back… So far, the dour man didn't seem to find any severe problems with my health, but of course, just when I thought I was free to go, the man asked me to remove my mask to make sure that I wasn't hiding any contagious illness… Seeing as I had no other opinion but to comply, I removed the protective piece of white leather from my face and dropped my gaze down to my feet so that I wouldn't have to see the man's probably horrified expression.**

"**There, are you happy?" I snapped at the man.**

"**Is your… um… affliction a congenial one or have you been experiencing any chronic or new found illness?"**

"**So, in other words, was I born this damn ugly? Yes, I was cursed from birth shall I say."**

**My gaze finally met the doctor's slightly terrified one as he said, "The woman you were with… is she your wife?"**

"**Soon to be…"**

"**And you've known her for?"**

"**Almost ten years."**

"**And she has not experienced any symptoms ever that would prove your ailment to be in anyway contagious?"**

"**No." **

"**Well, then I believe that it is safe to assume that you are not contagious with anything… If you're not going to bring about an epidemic here, then the authorities don't care that you're ugly as hell."**

**How dare this man insult me! Of course, that's the way it's always worked out for me; I do nothing and I still get treated like dirt… How could I expect anything less than cruelty from mankind? **

**As much as I wanted to strangle this man right where he stood, I remembered my promise to Christine that I'd never murder in cold-blood ever again… Nor did I want to taint my already tarnished soul any further. I had to become worthy of Christine… So, I ignored the man, placed my mask and cloak back on, picked up the suitcases and stepped back out into the bustling hallways to find Christine waiting there with a smile on her face.**

"**Any life-threatening ailments?" she asked jokingly. **

**I shook my head sternly.**

"**Something wrong, my love?" she asked, her voice full of concern.**

"**There are reasons why I'm not fond of doctors, Christine… I'm not very fond of people as a general rule as well."**

"**It's over now anyways, Erik."**

**I nodded in agreement. It then came to my attention that the letters PG were written on Christine's shoulder in chalk.**

"**What's that doing on your shoulder?"**

"**Oh, the doctor marked that on me… I asked him why and he told me that it's how they keep track of who has diseases and such…"**

**My eyes widened at this, "What's wrong, Christine? Are you ill?"**

**She laughed, "No worries, Erik. The doctor told me that the PG symbol merely stands for Pregnant."**

**We continued on through the crowd that seemed to be moving at a snail's pace… When we finally made it to the front of the line, we were both given a sheet of paper which we were told to fill out… I stood next to Christine, hunched over a counter and began filling out the information required... Most of the questions were fairly simple to answer, like my name, sex, marital status, country of origin, and other basic information… I had difficulties answering the questions asking for specific details like my exact date of birth, which I did not know and had to make up a date. The twenty ninth and final question was what occupation I planned to pursue in America… What did I plan to do? No one would want to hire someone like me… I ended up writing down 'composer' and handed the form back to the stout man behind the counter. How I hated to be questioned about myself and my past…**

"**Okay, step this way," the stout man told us, signaling to a small alcove in the corner of the stuffy room.**

**To my horror, there was a man with a camera set up in the corner of the room.**

"**Sit down—we need photographs of all the new immigrants," the man behind the camera barked.**

**I had never had my picture taken before, and I had never wanted to, but today looked like it was going to be the day. **

**After Christine had her photo taken, I apprehensively sat down on the seat and looked into the camera as if looking into the eyes of a beast… I didn't want my appearance made into a permanent record displaying my hideousness to the world, but I wasn't about to be deported back to France for not obeying guidelines. **

"**Sir, take off that mask."**

"… **I-I can't."**

"**Well, I can't take your picture for the immigrant records if you have half of your face covered up."**

**Unwillingly, I obeyed the man's command, and removed my mask for the second time that day… The photographer barely stifled back a snicker and other people in the crowd waiting laughed or gasped in shock. The man took my picture and I immediately put my mask back over my face. As Christine and I walked away, I could see the photographer bursting into hysterical laughter over my photo.**

**I was seething with red-hot fury, but tried to contain it. **

"**How dare that man treat you so!" Christine huffed.**

"**It's alright… I'm used to it…"**

"**That doesn't make it right."**

"**The world isn't fair, Christine."**

**We continued on through the endless hallways as time ticked on at an excruciatingly slow pace. **

"**Erik?" Christine said, breaking the silence for the first time since the incident with the photographer.**

"**Yes, my love?"**

"**Where will we be staying once we arrive on shore?"**

"**Madame Giry said that there is an inn only twenty minutes or so away from where we will be arriving on the coast."**

"**Tomorrow… Can we be married tomorrow?" Christine flashed her pretty smile.**

"**If that is what my Christine wants, then I certainly have no objections to marrying you as soon as possible."**

"**Christine!" a voice called from behind, causing us to turn around to find Meg Giry running towards us with Madame Giry following slowly behind.**

"**Meg, slow down!" Madame snapped at her rambunctious daughter.**

"**I thought we'd never catch up to you two!" Meg sighed. "Oh well, it doesn't really matter now anyways… The exit is right up ahead. We can board the ferry to the mainland together."**

**I turned to see that we were indeed close to the exit. I wasn't one to particularly enjoy the garish light of day, but in this case, I was never happier to finally get some fresh air and sunlight after spending nearly nine hours in a crowded building. **

**We boarded a small ferry and arrived on solid ground within a half hour. The city was large and bustling with activity even though it was quite late in the day. It was the complete opposite of Paris. This city was new and bright and loud… No strict, age-old social order or unchanging, old buildings like in Paris… Everything seemed to be constantly pushing forward into expansion…**

**We took a carriage that brought us to the small inn that Madame Giry had mentioned. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was suitable and comfortable enough for the moment. Madame and Meg bid us goodnight and retired to their own room while Christine and I stayed together.**

**Christine laid her weary body out on the bed and sighed, "What a long day…"**

"**At least we're finally here."**

"**Erik, did you happen to notice what I did when we arrived on shore?"**

**I shook my head. I hadn't really been paying too much attention when we got off the ferry. I had been busy hauling our luggage off the boat. **

"**What did you see?"**

"**A quaint, little church by the seaside… I think we should go there tomorrow to be wed."**

"**Anything you want, my love."**

**Christine drifted peacefully off to sleep soon after our conversation. I sat rigid in the armchair stationed next to the window, watching Christine's soft, rhythmic breathing… I knew tomorrow would be the happiest day of my life as soon as Christine says "I do" and seals our bond forevermore. As thrilled as I was, I was equally nervous… I didn't even bother laying down that night, for I knew I would never be able to get to sleep… I only could hope that tomorrow would go well…**

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Christine's POV

_I awoke late the next morning, feeling quite refreshed after having a good night's sleep. I couldn't even remember the last time that I slept in so late. Back at the Opera, Madame Giry would always make sure that the ballet dancers were all up and awake at seven in the morning exactly, not a minute after. Even on holidays, she wouldn't let us sleep in. She claimed that we would become lazy if she let us relax and sleep in._

_The first thing I noticed was that Erik was not in bed next to me. I began to worry that perhaps he left again just like before. I quickly calmed when I glanced across the room to find him sitting in an armchair reading._

_He must have sensed that he was being watched, because he immediately lifted his gaze from the book to meet my eyes._

"_Good morning, mon ange," he said in his rich, mesmerizing voice. "I take it you slept well?"_

_I nodded, "How long have you been awake, Erik?"_

_He set his book down on the coffee table and gave a slight chuckle, "I never went to sleep."_

"_Aren't you tired?"_

"_Not really, I never require much sleep… Plus, how could a man get any rest when he is to be married to such a perfect angel?"_

_I blushed at his remark._

"_I'm pretty thrilled myself to marry the man of my dreams."_

_What remained of the morning passed by quickly, and soon enough, Meg and Madame Giry were helping me slip into the bountiful layers of lace and frill that made up my wedding dress. The dress was lovely, and I was thankful that I wasn't far enough into my pregnancy to not be as slender as I was now._

_I had just a touch of makeup on and let my hair cascade freely down my shoulders. Meg gently placed the veil on my head and stood back to admire her work._

"_Oh Christine, you look absolutely beautiful! You're the loveliest bride I've ever seen! I must say that I did a fabulous job with your makeup…," Meg said._

_I smiled and marveled at my appearance in the mirror before me._

"_Wait until Erik sees you, Christine. You'll knock that man off of his feet," Madame Giry said._

_A knock came at the door._

"_May I come in yet?" Erik's voice impatiently sounded from the other side of the door._

"_Yes."_

_The door creaked open and in walked Erik staring mesmerized at my appearance._

"_Christine… My eyes have never seen anything as beautiful as you look this evening…"_

_Erik looked quite dashing himself, dressed in an evening suit and looking as elegant as ever._

_I quickly closed the gap between us and tenderly embraced my soon-to-be husband._

"_You look positively dashing, mon amour," I whispered in his ear._

"_I doubt that."_

_I was about reprimand Erik for saying such a self-hateful thing, but before I could speak, Madame Giry pounded her cane against the hard wood floor and said, "Come now, there's no time for chit-chat, you two have a wedding to get to. I told the priest you would be there at seven."_

"_Shall we then, my love?" Erik said, holding out his arm for me to take._

_A carriage waited for us outside of the inn and we arrived at the small church just in time. The church actually reminded me of the little church my father and I used to go to before he died._

_The church was fairly plain, but still lovely in a quaint sort of way. The inside was all light-colored wood and beautiful stained glass windows adorned the walls._

_The priest standing at the altar was a stout, jovial-looking man with a white beard and balding head._

"_Welcome, children of God," he said as we entered._

_I smiled at the priest as Erik stood to my right side looking nervous... I knew that my Erik had lost his faith after years of suffering and torment, but hopefully I could restore his faith in the grace of God by giving Erik all the love and kindness that he'd been denied his whole life._

_Madame Giry and Meg took their seats in the front pew and Erik and I stood before the altar. The priest spoke for several minutes, reciting prayers and blessings about love and devotion._

"_Now, if you would like to exchange rings," said the priest._

_Erik and I both went out earlier to purchase a couple of wedding rings for each other. They were awfully cheap, simple rings, but I didn't care. Just knowing that the ring would bind me to Erik forever made it the most beautiful piece of jewelry in the world._

_After slipping the rings on each other's finger, we joined hands and began to recite the vows we were prepared to give._

_Erik was trembling slightly and looked as if he was having a hard time finding his voice to speak._

"… _I, Erik Destler, take Christine Daae to be my lawfully wedded wife…," he said in a soft, silken voice that flowed with passion. "I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health… I promise that I will love and honor you all the days of my life."_

_Several tears ran freely down Erik's cheeks as he finished his part of the vow._

"_And I, Christine Daae, take you, Erik Destler, to be my lawfully wedded husband… I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health… I promise you, Erik, that I will love and honor you all the days of my life."_

_I cried tears of joy now as well._

"_Then, by the power vested in me, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."_

_Erik bent forward to join our lips in the most tender, love-filled kiss we've ever shared, and our first as husband and wife._

"_Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Destler," said the priest._

_I had never been happier in my life as my husband scooped me up into his arms and carried me out of the church, smiling bigger than I had ever seen him smile before._

_As we exited the church and descended onto the quiet, cobblestone streets, snow had begun to fall in soft, glittering gems that left the streets powdered in white. _

"_Isn't it beautiful, Erik? It's like we're in a snow globe!" I squealed in delight._

_Erik chuckled, "You act as if you've never seen snow before in your life, my dear."_

"_But this is the first snow of this winter and it's on our wedding night! Isn't that special?"_

_Erik nodded as Madame and Meg came out to join us._

"_Well, you two are sure in a hurry to get back to the inn and have-" Meg was cut off by her mother nudging her roughly._

"_Now Meg, that's their business, not yours," Madame Giry scolded._

"_Sorry, Maman."_

_Madame turned her attention from her daughter and smiled at Erik and me, "Congratulations, you two… I pray that your life together will be a long and happy one."_

"_Thank you, Madame," I said._

_We took a carriage back to the inn and arrived at our room around nine. It was dark in our room and Erik lit a few candles that sat on the nightstand. Erik approached me from behind and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close._

"_I love you, Erik," I sighed._

"_I love you too, mon ange… Tonight you've made me the happiest man on Earth…"_

"_I think I could make you happier tonight."_

"_Oh, really? And how is that?" he teased, trailing kisses down my neck._

"_Like this," I laughed and spun around to pull him closer. _

_He kissed me gently and slowly, and then our kisses became deeper and burned with passion. His arms entwined behind my back and began to untie the strings of my dress._

"_Oh, Erik…" _

_Soon enough, we were both in bed together and became one for the first time as husband and wife. It was fantastic and even more beautiful than the first time. We fell asleep in each other's tender embrace as morning neared and frost began to creep up the window pane like ivy. The snowflakes outside still rained down like glistening confetti and everything felt right lying beside my Angel of Music, my husband._

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Hooray! Chapter 20!

**NOTICE! I WILL POST THE NEXT CHAPTER IN AT LEAST 3 DAYS IF I CAN GET AT LEAST 15 REVIEWS FOR THIS CHAPTER! REMEMBER, YOU CAN LEAVE A REVIEW EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT A MEMBER OF FANFICTION! REVIEW AND YOU'LL GET THE NEXT CHAPTER BEFORE YOU KNOW IT; DON'T REVIEW, AND I WON'T POST THE NEXT CHAPTER FOR ANOTHER 2 OR 3 WEEKS!**


	21. A New Home

**Okay, sorry this chapter took awhile, but stuff happens. **

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**Christine's POV**

_I awoke the next morning in my husband's warm embrace, feeling more wonderful than ever. After Erik and I shared a nice breakfast, we donned our coats and walked out into the crisp winter air. We wanted to find a home for ourselves now that we were married, plus, it wasn't like we could live in the inn forever. We had close to nothing as far as money, so we started searching in the large apartment buildings which so many of the immigrants lived in. Erik promised me that he would buy us a real home as soon as he could afford it._

_After nearly three hours of searching, we came across a worn-down apartment building in a so-so neighborhood. _

"_Should we see if they're renting any rooms?" I asked Erik._

"_Christine, this building looks appalling. Surely we can find somewhere better than this…"_

"_I know you want to give me a wonderful place to live, Erik, but we have to be reasonable. We can't afford anything better…"_

_Erik sighed and we entered the lobby of the apartment._

"_Excuse me, Madame," Erik said to the heavy-set woman behind the counter._

"_What do ya want?" the woman barked._

"_Well, my wife and I just arrived in the country, and we would like a place to live."_

"_So?"_

"_So, do you have a room for rent or not?" Erik said, beginning to get irritated with the woman._

"_Yeah, sure we do," the woman responded, leaning over the counter with her flabby arm. "But not for your kind. We don't accept no freaks here."_

_Erik pounded his fists down on the counter, "Listen! My wife is pregnant! You better give us a room, or I swear I'll-"_

_I grabbed onto Erik's arm and said, "Forget her, let's just go find somewhere else… Please…"_

"_Fine," Erik huffed and stormed out of the building._

_I caught up to Erik and rested my hands on his shoulders._

"_It's okay, Erik… That woman was cruel. I wouldn't want to stay there anyways…"_

"_Let's keep searching…," he sighed and continued forward._

_We walked on through the unfamiliar streets, an uncomfortable silence hanging in the air. I pulled my cloak closer to my freezing body, trying to stay warm while I struggled to keep up to the fast pace Erik was moving at._

"_Erik, please, I'm tired, can we rest for a few minutes?"_

_He didn't say a word, but collapsed onto the next bench we came by, placing his masked face in his hands. I sat down next to my husband, wrapping my arms around him, only to have him shrug me off._

"_Erik, just forget what that lady said to you… It's not worth being upset about…"_

"_It's not that… It's everything… Everyone treats me like a worthless pile of dirt; that doctor, the photographer, the landlady… And that was only in the past couple of days! Yet you put up with it. The ridicule, the sheer embarrassment of having a freak as a husband… I deserve to be outcast, but you don't. You deserve to be loved and accepted by normal people… I'll never be accepted… People will always torment me and you shouldn't have to be treated so terribly because of me…"_

_I tried to wrap my arms around him again, and, to my surprise, he let me this time._

"_Erik… it doesn't matter what others think… I want to be with you no matter what. I don't care how __I get treated because I'm your wife… I wouldn't want to be anyone else's wife…"_

_Erik brought his face up out of his hands and looked at me with his tear-stained eyes._

"_I'm sorry, Christine… I guess it's still hard for me to believe that someone like you would actually want to be with someone like me… Shall we continue to look for a place to stay?"_

"_Erik, I-"_

"_Excuse me," a strange, high-pitched but masculine voice interrupted. _

_Erik and I turned to see a man in bizarre clothing wearing a top hat. He had strange, metallic objects attached to his face and some kind of eye patch over his left eye… _

"_I couldn't help but overhear your situation," the strange man said._

"_Who are you, monsieur?" I asked._

"_My name is Doctor Gangle... I hear you two are having trouble finding a place to stay, is that correct?"_

_I nodded._

"_Well, you are in lucky then! I own an apartment building that houses oddities who have been rejected by other housing establishments… I was actually in the same boat as you are right now when I arrived here five years ago… Everywhere I tried to get an apartment, I was rejected… Sadly, people like us are denied the basic rights that all normal people are entitled to… But, I must say, I see nothing unusual about you young lady…"_

"… _I'm not really unusual…"_

"_But this man is your husband?"_

_I nodded and the man called Doctor Gangle turned to Erik and smiled._

"_Well, aren't you a lucky dog! Such a lovely lady you have! People like us usually are limited to marrying only other oddities... So, are you interested in renting an apartment for you and your lady?"_

"_I suppose we have no other option," Erik sighed and rose to his feet._

"_Well, you can follow me then, Mister… um… I actually didn't catch your name…"_

"_Erik Destler… and this is my wife, Christine."_

"_Well, it's great to meet you two… Tell me, have you found a job yet, Mr. Destler?"_

_Erik shook his head, "We haven't even been here a week."_

"_Well, that's quite understandable… I'm pretty lenient when it comes to the residents paying rent… Of course, I'll be expecting money at some point, but take your time to get settled..."_

_After about a half hour of walking, we came across an apartment building that was in worse condition than the previous one. It was about five stories high with brick walls and dirty windows that had cracked shutters with chipping paint on them. The structure was a stark contrast to the magnificence and grandeur of the Opera Populaire._

"_I'm terribly sorry that this is not the most picturesque place to be staying, but trust me when I say that this is the best you'll be able to find… Most of the people living here work for freak shows on the island… Not the most glamorous job, but it puts bread on the table...," Doctor Gangle sighed._

_Erik turned to me, "Oh Christine, please forgive for not being able to afford anything better for you… I swear that someday I will build us that beautiful seaside cottage you wanted."_

"_It's fine, Erik… Remember, you're talking to the girl who spent her childhood homeless, wandering from town to town with her father… As long as we have a roof over our heads, everything will be alright."_

_Doctor Gangle motioned for us to come inside the tattered building. The ground floor was a lobby of some sort furnished with simple wooden chairs, tables, and a small couch across from a counter and a wooden staircase._

"_Your room will be on the third floor," Doctor Gangle said whilst shuffling through a draw behind the counter, apparently looking for keys. With a large brass key in hand, he motioned us to follow as he ascended up several flights of stairs. We walked across squeaky floorboards down a dimly lit hallway and stopped at a door to our left._

"_And this will be your room," Doctor Gangle announced, opening the door._

_The apartment was a single, small room with one window and old furniture crammed inside the stuffy confines. There was a bed with a lumpy-looking mattress, a chest of drawers that had a mirror on top, a wardrobe, a couple gas lamps, a few cabinets above a small counter top, a cast-iron stove, a small table with a couple of chairs, an ice box, and a rusty sink. There was no carpet, just the same squeaky, ancient wooden floorboards that were in the hallway. _

"_Well, how is it? You can try your luck at finding another place to stay, but frankly, I don't think that you'll find anything better."_

_Erik turned to me, "What do you think, my dear?"_

"_We have virtually no money, and after seeing how we were treated elsewhere, I think this is the best we can do… It's not bad. It's clean and structurally sound and has all the essentials of a home… I think this is just fine."_

"_So you'll take it I presume?" Doctor Gangle raised an eyebrow in Erik's direction._

_Erik nodded and was handed the keys._

"_Make yourselves at home… My apartment is in the main lobby, so just holler if you need me," Gangle said before departing back down the staircase._

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_Erik and I returned to the inn to pick up our belongings and inform the Giry's of our new lodgings. To our surprise, Madame Giry and Meg had already found their own place to stay. Even more to our surprise, the neighborhood they picked up residence in was merely a few blocks from our apartment building._

_We packed our suitcases and took a carriage back to our new home. It didn't take long to unpack our few belongings, so we had the rest of the day free. I wanted to spend the day with my new husband, but Erik insisted that he needed to go out and find a job. As much as I wanted to spend time with him, I knew he was right—we needed money as soon as possible. And, with a kiss goodbye, Erik left me promising to return as soon as possible. _

_I needed to keep myself occupied, so I picked up the broom sitting in the corner and began sweeping the floor; I even dusted the furniture and washed the windows. I was beginning to feel like a real wife._

_With all the cleaning done, I decided to visit the neighbors. I started with the door to the left of our room, knocking politely on the old wood door._

"_Who is it?" a feminine voice called from the other side._

"_It's Christine Destler… I am your new neighbor."_

_There was silence from the other side, but before I could knock again, the door opened for me. A woman about my height stood before me. She was perhaps five years or so my elder. She had short, black hair cut in a pixie-like fashion and dark makeup rimming her crystal blue eyes. She wore the most bizarre dress I'd ever laid eyes on; it was black with a feathery skirt that only covered part of her thighs, revealing her legs which were adorned in tight, leathery pants with all kinds of buckles and straps running across the fabric._

"_I can see you're a little shocked, Miss… This is just my costume for performances. I just got off of work… You can call me Miss Fleck," the woman extended a gloved hand to shake my own. "Your name's Christine you said?"_

_I nodded, "My husband, Erik, and I just immigrated here from France."_

"_Well, don't just stand there- come in and make yourself at home," she gestured for me to enter her apartment._

_Her apartment was in a similar shape as our own, excerpt hers was decorated with countless, strange little trinkets and knickknacks that I couldn't even make a guess as to where she acquired them._

_She motioned for me to take a seat at the table and offered me some tea. _

"_So, where's your husband now?" she asked, pouring me a cup from the teapot._

"_Out searching for a job."_

"_He's one of us oddities, right?"_

_I nodded, "Yes, he's been deformed from birth… He's brilliant though! He's a composer, an architect, a painter—he's an absolute genius."_

_Miss Fleck gave a sigh and leaned over the kitchen counter._

"_Sadly, it doesn't matter how brilliant he is… This town is cold and mean. Us oddities only have one option, and that's working as a sideshow freak."_

_That was not what I wished to hear. I was hoping that Erik would not have to resort to something that would embarrass and degrade him as such to earn an honest day's pay._

_Trying to switch the subject, I asked, "So, you just got off work, you said? What do you do?"_

_She turned around from the stove top to face me and smiled, obviously enthused about relating the details of her strange profession to me._

"_Well, I work at a freak show on Coney Island not too far from here. I'm the "Amazing Miss Fleck—Half Bird, Half Woman". I perform the most spectacular, physics-defying acrobatics you've ever seen!"_

_I smiled and took a sip of my tea, "I will be sure to come and see your show sometime."_

_Miss Fleck and I sat and chatted over tea as time ticked by. _

"_Thank you very much for the tea. It was very nice to meet you, Miss Fleck. I'm going to go introduce myself to the other neighbors."_

"_It was nice meeting you as well, Mrs. Destler… And, thank you…"_

"_Thank you for what?" I asked, confused._

"_For treating me, an oddity, like an equal…"_

_Before I could say anything else, the door was shut and I walked over to the flat across the hall from ours._

_I knocked, and the voice of an old woman sounded from the other side._

"_Hello?"_

"_Hello… I'm Christine Destler, your new neighbor."_

_It took a moment or two for the door to open. When it did, an elderly woman greeted me on the other side. Her grey hair was pulled loosely into a bun and her face was creased with wrinkles. _

"_Why, hello there, young lady. How nice of you to visit all the neighbors… Not everyone in this day and age is so friendly and courteous… Good to see some of today's youth have good manners," the woman said in a thick Hungarian accent. "Oh sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I suppose this brain of mine isn't working like it used to, dear… I'm Mrs. Havas, but please, just called me Alida… Come in, dear."_

_I stepped into her apartment which smelled of cinnamon and lavender. She offered me a seat on an overly stuffed couch and then sat down herself._

"_So Christine, right? Have you just come to America?"_

_I nodded, "My husband and I moved here from France… He's out searching for work right now."_

"_I see… I'll have to meet your husband when he returns… It's so nice to be in love… My poor Lukács died nine years ago…"_

"_How do you afford the rent with your husband gone?"_

"_Well, Doctor Gangle is a kind man and lets me stay here even though I have hardly any money… I used to make a meager income as a contortionist back when these old joints weren't so dreadfully stiff." _

_We exchanged small talk for a good half hour or so until Alida said, "So, you're expecting a child?"_

"_Yes… How did you know? I didn't think I was really showing that much yet…"_

"_Oh, I can tell. I've been pregnant a dozen times."_

"_You have that many children?" I said, slightly astonished._

"_Yes, and I've been a midwife for a lot of the women who have lived here over the years."_

"_Really? Would you mind helping me deliver my child when the time comes?"_

"_Of course, dear." _

_With that said, I bid Mrs. Havas goodbye and returned to the flat to wait for Erik to return home._

_After an hour passed, Erik came through the door looking terribly exhausted. He greeted me and collapsed on the bed. _

"_You look tired, Erik," I said, taking off his shoes and cloak for him._

"_I am. I searched everywhere for a job."_

"_Did you find one?"_

_After a moment of silence, he merely nodded. _

"_Well, what will you be doing?"_

"_Embarrassing myself," was his reply. "The only places that were willing to hire someone like me were the freak shows at the amusement parks… I thought that perhaps I could make a little less of a fool of myself by doing magic tricks, but everywhere I would go, the owner would always want to see under my mask… Obviously, they think it will draw in a lot more people if I show my hideous face… No one will hire me unless I show the audience my face for at least part of the performance…"_

"_Erik, that's horrible! Tell them that you refuse to do such a thing!"_

"_I can't. I need this job," Erik tenderly pressed his hand over my cheek. "Don't worry about me, Christine. I just care about being able to take care of you and the baby… My feelings don't matter."_

"_But, Erik-"_

"_Please, I just want to go to sleep, my love… I'm tired and I have to be up at five tomorrow morning."_

_I nodded and gave my angel a kiss on the cheek before turning off the lights in our new home._

_

* * *

_**And well, that's that. Again, I'm sorry that I haven't posted in awhile, but I'll try to post the next chapter soon!**

**Remember to review!**


	22. Joyeux Noël

**Okay, next chapter! Thank you all for the reviews! And for those of you who don't review, you are all jerks. Seriously, it takes like 10 seconds to review, guys! LOL!**

**Erik's POV**

**Time passed, before I knew it, Christmas was only a week away. Christine and I had gotten settled into our new apartment and she seemed happy enough. Though for me, returning home after work was the only happy part of my day. How I hated working for that freak show! It was so humiliating to be put on display for the entertainment of the crude, low-class scum here. With every hour I worked, more horrific memories of my past were stirred up… Horrible things that I'd do anything to just forget… At least I was not in a cage, forced to show my face against my free will… No, I was a free man here in America, even though I still felt caged like a beast… **

**I had to wake up at the crack of dawn every morning except for Sundays, and I didn't return home until about eight in the evening. Every night on my long walk home I would swear to myself that I was going to quit my job, but as soon as I would step through the door to the sight of my dear Christine with a slight bump on her stomach, nestled by the fire waiting patiently for my return, I would remember why I needed to work. She would give me a radiant smile as I entered the room and happily embrace me, kissing me on the cheek. She would never ask how my day was, because she already knew the answer. Instead, she would just let me forget about the troubles of my day and spend the evening with me, being a loving and attentive wife. We would have dinner together and then spend the rest of the chilly winter evening by the fire.**

**Even though Christine swore she was alright by herself, I still felt terrible leaving her all alone in our little flat, so I had asked Meg to sit with Christine for part of the day a couple days during the week which seemed to keep Christine occupied well enough.**

**With Christmas coming so soon, I needed to buy a present for my Christine. I had been making just enough money to buy only the essentials, but somehow I needed to scrape together some extra cash to buy a present… I knew that Christine was a simple girl, born into an impoverished Swedish family, and she didn't need extravagance and finery to be happy, but I still wished to give her the world.**

**Browsing through the stores, I found that I couldn't afford anything decent for Christine. I was just about to give up and go home when I came across a carpenter shop… I had the perfect idea! I could build a crib for our baby! It was a wonderful idea, and I immediately bought some rich, mahogany wood.**

**That evening, I slipped out of bed leaving Christine sleeping peacefully, and went outside with all the materials I would need, heading out to a shed behind the apartment building to work. It took nearly all night, but by sunrise, I had made the most beautiful cradle. I stood back to admire my work, taking in the fine, polished wood and the intricate carvings of roses and musical notes across the sides of the crib. Christine was going to love it.**

**The next few days came and went, and before I knew it, Christmas Eve was here. Christine and I snuggled into bed together, holding each other close for warmth, just like we'd been doing every night. **

"**Erik! Erik!" Christine yelled out in the middle of the night.**

"**What's wrong?" I said, immediately sitting up in bed. "Are you alright?"**

**She laughed then… Why was she laughing?**

"**What is it?"**

"**Erik… The baby's kicking!" she laughed again, pressing her hand to her stomach.**

"**S-should we take you to a doctor? What do we do?"**

"**Erik, this is normal," she assured. "A healthy baby will kick… Here, feel for yourself."**

**She picked up my hand and placed it over her stomach. At first, I felt nothing, then, a strange thump came from her stomach.**

"**It's our baby, Erik… I'm so happy…"**

"**Doesn't that hurt?" I asked, feeling a few more thumps.**

"**Not really… I think it's going to be a girl…"**

"**And why is that?" I asked, brushing back several curls from her forehead.**

"**I don't know… Now that the baby's moving, I can just sense that it's going to be a little girl…"**

"**Well, you and our little girl need your rest. Go back to bed, my angel… Tomorrow's going to be a big day."**

**As if on cue, the town clock rang out twelve chimes… It was midnight.**

"**Joyeux Noël, Erik."**

"**Merry Christmas to you too, my love."**

**Christine's POV**

_The sun shined through the frosted window panes, casting a glittering spectacle against the wall. It was Christmas! This was my first Christmas in America, and better yet, my first Christmas as a married woman. _

"_Good morning, my dear," Erik came walking over from the kitchen with a plate of eggs, toast, and hot chocolate on a tray and set it down next to me. _

"_Thank you."_

_When you are done eating, I have something for you…"_

"_Oh Erik, you didn't need to get me anything."_

"_But I did, because you deserve it, my love."_

_Anxious to see what he bought me, I shoveled down my food in an unladylike manner, wiping my mouth on the back of my hand._

"_Very dignified, Christine," Erik joked._

"_I want my present!" I squealed, imitating the tone of a young child. _

"_Hold on," Erik said, putting my empty food tray in the kitchen and walking over to the closet to get something._

"_Close your eyes," he instructed._

_I did as I was told and opened my eyes once something heavy was placed in my lap… It was gorgeous! A beautiful wooden crib carved with roses and musical notes. Every carving was extremely detailed and as close to perfection as humanly possible. I immediately knew that Erik had made this himself, something this perfect couldn't even be bought from a master craftsman. Only a true brilliant artist could make something like this._

"_Erik… I-It's beautiful! I love it! Thank you so much!" I said, practically with tears in my eyes. _

"_I'm glad you love it, my dear." _

_I set the cradle aside and walked over to the bed, kneeling down to reach under it and retrieve Erik's gift. _

"_I have something for you too, Erik."_

"… _A p-present? For me?" he muttered, stunned. _

"_It's not much, but it's something Meg helped me make during her visits."_

_I handed him the box covered in bright wrapping paper. For a few moments, he just held it, starring at the box._

"_Aren't you going to open it?"_

"_Yes… Yes, of course… It's just… I've never received a gift before."_

"_Well, now you have. Merry Christmas."_

_He opened the present slowly, obviously savoring the moment. He smiled as he opened the box and pulled out the folded woolen scarf._

"_Thank you," he said, sounding like I'd just given him the most wonderful gift in the world._

"_It's just a scarf, but I worked really hard on it."_

_I wrapped the deep navy scarf around his neck and kissed him on the cheek, "Now I'll always be able to keep you warm, even when I'm not there to hold you."_

"_Christine… I don't deserve anything, and yet, you still gave me something… You are the most wonderful woman in the world, my love."_

"_I do have one more thing for you, Erik," I giggled. _

_He looked at me, surprised, and asked, "Well, what is it?"_

"_Close your eyes…"_

_As soon as he did so, I rushed over to the dresser drawer and pulled out the dainty piece of mistletoe I had hidden. I pinned it right above where Erik was standing and told him that he could open his eyes once again. _

"_What is it, Christine?"_

"_Look up," I instructed._

"_A plant?" he raised an eyebrow._

"_It's mistletoe… We have a tradition in Scandinavia… At Christmas, you hang up a piece of mistletoe. When you stand under the mistletoe with someone, you give that person a kiss…"_

"_I would be more than happy to participate in that tradition," Erik gave me a seductive smile and brought his lips down upon my own in a tender and loving kiss. _

"_Shall we go downstairs, Erik? Doctor Gangle did invite us to the Christmas party he's having down in the lobby."_

"… _I'm not really a party sort of guy, Christine…" _

"_C'mon, Erik! It will be fun! No one's going to judge you. You'll fit right in," I assured. "If anyone sticks out, it will be me!" _

"_I suppose you are right… And I don't want to ruin your fun… I guess I'll go."_

_We both put on the nicest clothes we had and headed down the creaking stairs to the small, but lively party._

"_Ah Erik, Christine!" Doctor Gangle approached us, smiling from ear to ear. "So happy you're here! Merry Christmas!"_

"_Merry Christmas to you as well," I said._

"_Hope you two enjoy the party. Food and drinks are right over there," he said before turning his attention to another guest arriving._

"_Merry Christmas!" a familiar voice called. I turned around to see Miss Fleck dressed in a vivid red gown with green ribbons adorning her hair from which hung tiny jingle bells._

"_You too… You haven't met my husband yet, have you?" I turned my attention to Erik who was standing next to me, not saying a word. "This is my husband, Erik. And, Erik, this is our next-door neighbor, Miss Fleck."_

"_It is a pleasure to meet you, mademoiselle," he respond, giving a graceful bow._

"_It's nice to meet you too," she extended a hand for Erik to shake; although at first, Erik seemed unsure of the gesture, not being used to others inviting physical contact._

"_Oh! There he is!" Fleck exclaimed out of the blue. "Erik, Christine, I want you to meet someone."_

_We followed Miss Fleck over to a gargantuan man. He stood well over the height of everyone in the room. He was completely bald and had strange, black designs tattooed over every inch off his face._

"_This is my cousin, Fredric Squelch." _

_The giant man smiled and shook Erik's hand, then proceeded to place a gentlemanly kiss on the back of mine._

"_Squelch, this is Christine and Erik. They moved here not too long ago from France."_

"_Well, it's a pleasure to meet you both," the tattooed man said. "You can just call me Squelch."_

"_He works on Coney Island too, Erik," Fleck explained. "He's a strong man. He can lift anything!"_

"_Well, it was a pleasure meeting you two," Squelch said in his husky voice. "But I have to go and find Doctor Gangle… He lost out on a bet. Owes me five bucks, he does."_

_Squelch spotted Gangle wandering amongst the crowd, but before he could say a word, Gangle retreated in the other direction. _

"_Well, if you'll excuse me," the strong man said before running off in pursuit of Doctor Gangle._

_The rest of the party went on with plenty of laughter and merriment. I think Erik enjoyed himself… somewhat. He was right in saying he wasn't much of a party sort of guy. He mostly sat in the corner throughout the party while I chatted with the other guests. Occasionally, some of the guests would try to strike up a conversation with Erik, and he seemed to appreciate the fact that he fit in just fine. _

_By the time it was getting dark, Erik and I returned to our apartment._

"_Look, Erik! It's snowing!" I exclaimed the second I looked out the frosted window pane._

"_It would appear so," Erik stated very matter-of-factly. _

"_Let's go out!" I offered._

"_It's freezing, Christine."_

"_We can watch the snow come down in the park… Please, Erik! Let's go! It'll be fun."_

"_Well, my definition of 'fun' doesn't involve freezing to death, but if you really want to go out, I suppose I don't care… But dress warmly, Christine. I don't want you catching a cold."_

_I wrapped my cloak around myself and placed on my gloves and earmuffs as Erik adorned his black cloak and wrapped the scarf I made him around his neck._

_We ventured out of the building, hand in hand, down the snow frosted streets and to the quiet park only a couple blocks away. _

_Snow continued to rain down as we sat side by side on an icy bench. After sitting quietly for a few minutes, I flopped down in the snow to make a snow angel._

"_What on Earth are you doing, Christine?"_

"_Haven't you ever made a snow angel before, Erik?"_

_He shook his head, "I've never played out in the snow."_

"_Well, let me show you how to make a snow angel," I offered, pulling him down next to me in the bed of glittering white. "It's easy. Just spread your arms and legs out and move them back and forth in the snow like this."_

_I sat up carefully and admired the angel I made._

"_Is this good enough, Christine?" he asked._

_I nodded and offered him my hand to help him stand up. _

"_There… Aren't they pretty?" I asked, admiring the two angel shapes side by side in the snow._

_Erik nodded, "Aren't we a little old to be playing in the snow though?"_

"_Nonsense," I giggled, throwing a snowball at him._

"_What was that for?"_

"_It's called a snowball fight," I said, throwing another snowball in his direction._

"_Christine, that's not very mature," he scolded, wiping the snow off his jacket._

"_And what are you going to do about it?" I laughed and threw yet another snowball, which he dodged this time. _

"_Well, maybe I'll do this," he said, throwing a snowball at me._

_As the snowball made contact, I lost my balance and fell over backwards onto the fluffy pile of snow._

"_Oh God, Christine! I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to hurt you," Erik cried, running over to my side. _

_I laughed at his worrying and assured him, saying, "You didn't hurt me, Erik… Now come down here!"_

_I grabbed him by the leg and pulled him down next to me in the snow. I rolled over on top of him and smiled as we laid there together in the snow, the snowflakes still coming down around us._

"_I've had such a wonderful Christmas, Erik," I sighed, cuddling up to his shoulder._

_He kissed my hair lightly, holding me close, "And you've given me the best Christmas I've ever had, mon ange… I've never had someone to spend my Christmases with…"_

"_Well, now you do… We'll spend every Christmas together from now on… You know what we should do, Erik?"_

"_And what's that, my dear?"_

"_We should sing a Christmas carol!"_

_He turned his head away, embarrassed, "I… I don't really know any Christmas songs…"_

"_Then I'll sing one for you," I offered. _

"_That sounds like a wonderful Christmas gift, mon ange."_

_I had Erik sit down on the park bench and I turned to stand in the snow as if I were standing on the Opera stage back in Paris._

"_Bel astre que j'adore, _

_Soleil qui luit pour moi,_

_C'est toi seul que j'implore,_

_Je veux n'aimer que toi. _

_C'est ma plus chère envie,_

_Seigneur, en ce beau jour, _

_Où je ne dois la vie _

_Qu'à ton immense amour. _

_Seigneur, que la mémoire_

_De tes divins bienfaits,  
Le zèle de ta gloire  
En moi vive à jamais!  
Je veux toujours te suivre,  
Je n'ai plus qu'un désir,  
Pour toi seul, je veux vivre,  
Pour toi, je veux mourir. _

_Et vous, choeurs angéliques, __**  
**__Qui du Seigneur naissant  
Chantez dans vos cantiques__**  
**__L'heureux avènement,  
Venez pour moi, saints anges,__**  
**__Redire au doux Sauveur __**  
**__Vos hymnes de louange, __**  
**__Les chants de mon bonheur!" _

"**Beautiful star that I adore,**

**Sun that shines for me,**

**It's you alone that I implore,**

**I want to love only you.**

**It's my deepest desire,  
Lord, on this beautiful day,  
That I owe my life  
Only to your great love.**

**Lord, may the memory**

**Of your divine kindnesses,**

**The zeal of your glory,**

**Live in me forever!  
I always want to follow you.**

**I have now only one desire,**

**For you alone, I want to live,**

**For you, I want to die.**

**And you, angelic choirs,**

**Who sing in your hymns  
The joyous event**

**Of the Lord being born,**

**Come for me, sainted angels,**

**Tell the sweet Savior again**

**Your hymns of praise,**

**The songs of my joy!" **

_Erik stood up from the bench clapping, and threw me an imaginary rose._

"_Merry Christmas, Erik."_

**And that's a WRAP! Stay tuned for the next chapter! Who knows what will happen? *cough* Baby's coming *cough* I'm not giving anything away! **

**Hope you all have a safe and happy holiday! Leave me a good review as a Christmas present!**

**By the way, if anyone is wondering, the song that Christine sang is a traditional French Christmas song dating back to the 15****th**** century. It's called "Bel Astre que J'adore" or "Beautiful Star that I Adore".**


	23. Little Angel

**OKAY! The chapter you've all been waiting for! Sorry it took awhile for me to post… I've been busy and I've had writer's block…**

**Happy 23****rd**** anniversary on Broadway for POTO!**

* * *

**Erik's POV**

Time passed quickly, and life went on exactly the same as it had been before. Christine seemed to be doing alright until about her eighth month into the pregnancy. The baby seemed in a hurry to be born and Christine was in a great amount of pain most days, nearly going into premature labor several times. At the doctor's orders, Christine now laid in bed every moment of the day. It pained me to see her suffer with not only physical agony, but terrible boredom as well.

It was a hot July afternoon, the sky bright in a brilliant shade of blue. I was taking a five-minute break from work. The humidity made the air feel unbearably heavy and thick. I was sitting down on a bench near the tent I performed in when Miss Fleck came running toward me in a hurry. This was unusual due to the fact that she was supposed to be taking care of Christine today. Why was she here?

"Mister Erik! Mister Erik!"

"What's the matter?"

"Christine… She-" Miss Fleck sucked in a breath of air. "She… The baby's coming!"

"What?"

"She started going into labor and I ran to get you."

Feeling more panicked than I'd ever felt, I raced down the bustling streets, pushing past pedestrians, not caring about anything other than reaching my beloved wife as soon as possible. Upon reaching the apartment, I bounded up the stairs three at a time, never stopping until I reached the third floor. I knocked on the door like a madman until the door was opened for me by our next door neighbor, Mrs. Havas.

"Well, well. There's the father-to-be!" the old, Hungarian woman exclaimed.

"… Christine…," was all I could manage to wheeze out.

"Yes, she's fine," she said, moving out of the way to let me in the room.

Christine was laid out on the bed like a ragdoll, looking tired and scared. She was as white as my mask and had a few beads of sweat dripping down her forehead.

"Erik!" she cried, reaching out for me with her shaking little hand.

I immediately was at her side, holding her hand.

"How are you feeling?"

"Alright, I guess…," was her weak reply.

Her face wrinkled up in pain and she held her stomach in a vain attempt to suppress the agony.

"Erik, I don't think I can take another contraction…," she groaned.

"Shhh… It's alright, my dear."

"How much longer till the baby comes?" she asked Mrs. Havas who was sitting on a chair by the bedside.

"Well, labor lasts longer for some women than with others… The contractions will come and go… I'll be able to tell when the baby's ready to come out… Now, all we have to do is wait."

An hour passed, then two, three, four… Time just merged together into an endless stream of worry… How much longer would it be? With each passing hour, my anxiety only grew… It wouldn't be much longer until either my greatest dream would come true, and the child would turn out to be beautiful, or my worst nightmare would be brought to reality and the child would be every bit as deformed as me…

Christine's contractions became worse and came every couple of minutes. She looked like she was in agony…

"Christine, it's time…," Mrs. Havas informed after examining Christine.

"Now?" Christine gasped.

"This will take a great deal of concentration and hard work. So, just stay calm and breathe, dear… Mister Destler, I'll have to ask you to leave the room… This is women's work in here."

"What? No! I'm not leaving Christine!"

"I'll be okay, Erik… Don't worry…"

"But Christine…," I begged.

"It's fine, Erik…"

"Don't you worry, Mister Destler. She'll be just fine…," the old woman insured.

Reluctantly, I rose from my seat, placed a kiss on Christine's forehead, and left the room. I sunk to the floor in the hallway, nervously pulling on the material of my shirt sleeve.

"Push," I heard. "Again… Again, dear…"

I heard a small groan escape Christine's lips, causing my heart to throb in pain... Oh, how I hated to know my Angel was in pain! I couldn't help but feel that her agony was partly my fault. I was the one to impregnate her…

"Hello, Mister Erik," a familiar voice greeted.

I looked up to see Miss Fleck standing above me.

"You look nervous… I suppose that's normal for a first-time father… It's good that you care so much about your wife and child though…"

Miss Fleck sat down gracefully on the floor next to me, tucking her legs under her black skirt.

"You know, Mister Erik, my father didn't care about me…"

I raised a curious eyebrow at the outlandish acrobat next to me.

"And why was that?"

"… My mother died giving birth to me. My father blamed me for her death… He hated me. He was a drunk too… He'd come home from the bar and beat me half to death… As soon as he discovered my talent as a contortionist, he called me a freak and left…"

"Left?"

"He just grabbed his things and walked out… I waited and waited for him to come home, but he never did… I found myself living at an orphanage until I eventually got a job working here on Coney…"

"… I'm sorry to hear that," I said. Ever since Christine told me she loved me, I've become more and more empathetic towards others… She was changing me for the better…

"So, why exactly did you tell me that?" I questioned.

"I don't know… I just feel comfortable around you, Mister Erik… You've had a hard life as well, haven't you? I guess that I also just started thinking of my mother and father, considering you and Christine are about to become parents."

"If you feel so comfortable around me, you may just call me Erik, if you'd like…"

"Okay, Erik...," she stood to her feet and smoothed her skirt. "Well, I do have to be getting to work soon… So, I hope everything goes alright with the baby… If you ever need a babysitter, you know where to find me… I could teach the kid how to swing on the trapeze! Just kidding… Good luck with everything, Erik!"

I sat there on the hard floor alone again, vacantly staring at my pocket watch which seemed to be taunting me, its hands moving ever so slowly.

"One more time! Push!"

I heard an ear-piercing scream from Christine, then silence. Then, another cry… A soft, musical cry… It wasn't Christine crying.

With shaking legs, I rose to my feet and knocked on the door.

"You can come in now, Mister Destler," Mrs. Havas opened the door to let me inside, then proceeded to return to her own apartment, telling me to call on her if any problems arose.

Christine reclined in bed with several pillows behind her. She looked tired, but radiant just the same. Held lovingly to her heart, she cradled a small bundle wrapped in a light yellow blanket. She had tears in her eyes and a beaming smile gracing her lips as she stared down at the bundle.

"Erik… Come see your baby girl."

Hesitantly, I knelt down by Christine who turned the child in her arms around so I could cherish my first look at my daughter.

My God, she was beautiful! Beyond beautiful! There, in Christine's arms, laid a lovely little angel. She was like a sweet cherub one would see on a cathedral. All her features were in perfect proportion and her skin was flawless… On top of her head were a few wispy, light brown locks… All my anxiety from the past eight months vanished with one look at this child...My child… My child that was beautiful… I had created something so very beautiful…

"Hold her, Erik."

"I… I can't… What if I hurt her? She might be afraid of me…"

"Don't be ridiculous, Erik. You're her father. She'll love you."

Before I could protest, Christine gently laid the baby on my lap. Like handling a fragile vase, I cradled the baby in my arms, already falling completely in love with my sweet daughter. The little angel giggled in a musical tone, and opened her eyes to look at me. The infant's eyes were a deep green, just like mine. My daughter had the most breathtaking eyes. The two emerald orbs shined and sparkled on their own, gazing so innocently up at me.

"Erik… Take off your mask."

"What? I don't want to scare her."

It would crush my heart if she were to cry upon looking at my hideous face.

"She won't be scared. Children aren't born with a fear of things that are different… If she sees your face from the start, she'll become accustomed to it and accept you for who you are."

Slowly, I peeled the concealing article off of my face, revealing every inch of my mangled flesh. The child slowly opened its eyes again and looked at me… No screams or tears came, the child just stared curiously at my mess of a face. Then, her tiny warm hand reached out tentatively and touched my deformed cheek. I watched my daughter, waiting for her to pull back in horror… But she never did… Instead, she smiled at me. Her eyes lit up with glee as she continued to smile.

"See, Erik? She's not even a day old and she already loves you!" Christine giggled.

"Well, we can't call her 'she' forever, can we? How about you give her a name, my love?"

"No, I want you to name her, Erik… If I remember correctly, you had a few beautiful names picked out already, since you just knew the child was going to be a girl."

"And I was right, wasn't I?"

Christine stuck out her tongue jokingly at me.

Turning my attention back to the baby, I asked, "Now, what shall we name you, little one? You're so beautiful… How about Chantelle? Chantelle Madeleine Destler."

"I love it, Erik… Chantelle, meaning to sing… Perfect… But Madeleine? Wasn't that your mother's name, Erik?"

"Yes, it was…"

"But… why? You told me she was cruel to you…"

"… She was still my mother and I loved her… I just want Chantelle's middle name to be my mother's."

"Well, it does sound pretty… Chantelle Madeleine Destler… Do you like that name, my little angel?" Christine asked the infant curled up in my arms.

"She's going to be brilliant just like you, Erik…"

"I'll teach her everything I can, especially how to sing. She has to live up to her name, you know."

"I'm sure she will have a splendid voice. How could she not with an opera singer and the Angel of Music as her parents?"

"That's true… But right now, you need to get some rest, my love… I'll care for little Chantelle."

"Rest sounds wonderful," my sweet Christine yawned, and almost immediately fell asleep.

"You're probably tired too, little one," I spoke softly to my daughter.

Next to our bed, Christine had placed the cradle I had given her for Christmas, all made up with pillows and blankets. I laid Chantelle down and covered her up with a blanket.

"Goodnight, my little angel."

Deciding not to disturb Christine by lying down on the bed next to her, I pulled up a chair and watched my daughter. My daughter… I was a father now.

"I wish I had more to give you, Chantelle… I promise we won't be living in poverty like this too much longer… You and your mother deserve a beautiful home, not his dingy apartment."

Chantelle just stared at me with her big, innocent eyes.

"Can't you get to sleep, love?" I asked the newborn. "Do you want to be sung to?"

Quietly, I began to sing a soothing lullaby that I used to sing for my dear Christine when she had first arrived at the Opera Populaire. Chantelle's eyes slowly closed, and when I was certain that she was fast asleep, I stopped singing and crept over to where I kept my sketch pad and pencils. Sitting back down on the hard chair, I began to sketch a picture of the newborn infant resting in her crib.

How beautiful a sleeping newborn is…

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**Okay, I'm really sorry this chapter is kinda short, but I promise the next chapter will be longer! **

**Please review and give me suggestions for what should happen next!**


	24. The Best and the Worst of Times

**Hello everyone! I'd like to thank POTOPARAMOUR. Your review gave me a great idea for this chapter. And, as always, thanks for those of you who review! And for those of you who don't review, shame on you! SHAME! SHAME, I SAY!**

My daughter was absolutely beautiful in every way. Each morning I would awake to musical cries coming from Chantelle's cradle. I would feed my child, and once she was satisfied, she would giggle sweetly and smile at me. It is true what they say about how strong a mother's love is. Only two weeks old, and my little Chantelle had already stolen my heart. I couldn't imagine life without her.

As attached as my baby was to her mother, she was even more so with Erik. Erik's daughter held a special bond with him that would be impossible to break. She was definitely Erik's child. She had a certain musicality about her and emerald eyes that were exactly the same shade as Erik's.

"Mon petit ange," Erik would say as he rocked his infant daughter back and forth.

Chantelle was most definitely a little angel. Such a well-behaved and lovable baby… Having a child proved to be quite time-consuming despite how well behaved she was. At least caring for my child gave me something to do while Erik was gone to work. She would lie on her blanket, playfully ringing a string of bells Erik had placed just above her cradle, creating simple melodies.

September's cool embrace crept in leaving summer behind. With the busy season in Coney Island coming to a close, Erik was able to come home earlier in the day and spend more time with Chantelle and me. Life couldn't have been better.

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Erik's POV

Life couldn't have been better. I had a beautiful wife and a perfect daughter… All I really needed was a better job. How I despised working for that freak show! At least I had convinced my boss that my skills as a magician were fantastic enough for him to allow me to perform tricks and illusions rather than completely embarrass myself by showing my horrible face. Nevertheless, it still humiliated me to be considered a freak… I hated being surrounded by so many people... Every single one of them would comment on my mask, whether it was to my face or when they thought I wasn't listening. But I was listening. I could hear every hurtful word, every snicker, every cruel comment…

Each afternoon, my sweet Christine would walk from our flat to the tent where I performed carrying a small picnic basket and our little Chantelle. Christine would smile up at me and say, "Ready for some lunch, love?" Then, I'd scoop Chantelle into my arms and walk hand in hand with Christine down to a quiet, secluded spot on the beach to enjoy our lunch together. Chantelle, always dressed in a soft cotton sundress and matching bonnet, would lay in my arms, laughing and smiling up at me as Christine fed her bites of applesauce from a little spoon.

"She's becoming more beautiful each day, isn't she?" I would remark.

I particularly enjoyed this nonchalant routine of ours. Seeing Christine and my daughter was the only thing that got me through the lengthy and grueling days at work. Christine always made my spirit feel alive and whole; she was like the first rays of sunshine after a long dark night. And, although boasting was not usually in my nature, I can't deny that I enjoyed showing off my angelic wife and daughter to the petty people who gawked at me throughout the day. I wanted to say, "That's right, look, I have a loving and beautiful wife and this perfect child is mine."

It was an unusually warm day in mid-September. I had just begun to pack up my things when Christine came through the opening of the tent, ready for lunch. Just as she walked in, a heavyset, middle-aged man grabbed Christine roughly by the arm and laughed, "Look, it's the monster's whore!"

How dare he! I could take insults to myself, but how dare this man have the audacity to torment my Christine!

Just as I was about to pull Christine away from the disgusting man, the bastard slapped Christine's behind and said loudly, "How much do you charge for your services, huh?"

Without thinking, I stormed up to the laughing man and punched him right across his fat face.

"Erik, don't!" Christine pleaded as Chantelle began to cry from all the commotion.

"Someone call the cops on this bastard!" the man yelled, holding his injured cheek in one hand and spitting out a bloody tooth.

Within minutes, two uniformed men roughly grabbed me by the arms and began to haul me off.

"Wait!" Christine called, "This is a misunderstanding! He was just trying to protect me!"

"And who are you?" the older of the two officers asked.

"I'm his wife."

"Well then, Madame, your husband's in trouble for disturbing the peace and, for the time being, he's going to jail."

"No, you can't!" Christine pleaded, clinging onto the man's arm.

"Listen, Madame, just go home. You can visit your husband in jail later," the man instructed.

I was taken to a large brick jail building and dragged down aisles of cells imprisoning rough-looking men. To my terror, I was thrown behind bars, locked in a cage like an animal again. Panic began to set in as horrible memories of my caged childhood flooded back to me… All the agonizing pain and abuse I had suffered…

The gray-haired policeman spoke up in a commanding tone, "You're here charged with disturbing the peace and brutal assault of an innocent citizen."

"Brutal assault?"

"Yes, the man claims you hit him a dozen times before the police came!"

"What? Lies! And furthermore, that man is not innocent! He touched my wife!"

"Save it for the judge, you freak!" the younger officer piped up.

The policemen locked the door, leaving me all alone with several other inmates in the cold cell… There were no beds, just two wooden benches and a chamber pot that reeked of urine and old feces. I sat on the floor with my legs hugged to my body, trying to stay as far away as possible from the other prisoners. I could only pray that Christine would get here soon…

Christine came an hour or so later, apologizing for not getting there sooner-she had to leave Chantelle with Miss Fleck.

"Christine, I can't stand another second in this cage!"

"Don't worry, my love. I promise, I'll get you out of here as soon as I can!" she said, holding my hand through the bars of the cell.

"Hey lady, visiting hours are over!" the guard yelled.

She looked back at me, obviously not wishing to leave my side, "Will you be okay, Erik?"

"I'll be fine, Christine. I've been through much worse."

"I'll be back first thing tomorrow morning, alright?" she promised, hugging me through the bars.

"Good night, my dear."

"Goodnight, Erik."

Christine left as the lights extinguished all at once leaving me in complete darkness.

**

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Christine's POV

My poor Erik! I fell to my knees and sobbed the moment I got through the door and put Chantelle in her cradle. Oh, how I cried!

My poor, poor Erik! I needed to prove he was innocent! Yes, Erik did punch that man, but he was only trying to protect me!

After tucking Chantelle in and giving her soft little head a kiss, I threw on my cloak and quickly made my way to Madame Giry's flat. If there was anyone who could save Erik, it was Madame Giry.

I raced up the stairs of their apartment building and frantically pounded on their door.

Meg answered, "Christine? What are you doing here? It's late… Where's Erik?"

"He's in trouble. Can you please get your mother for me?"

Meg didn't waste a moment and rushed off to get her mother.

Madame Giry, dressed in her usual black, raised an eyebrow upon seeing me and said in calm concern, "I hear Erik is in trouble?"

"Yes, this morning, a man had taunted me with some vulgar insults and had grabbed me. Erik got all upset and punched the man! He was charged with assault and hauled off to jail! Oh Madame, I need your help to get him out! I can't stand the thought of him all alone in that cold cell."

"I'll do everything I can, my dear… It's very late though. I doubt the authorities would be in the mood to negotiate with us at this hour… Go home for now and meet me at the jail house tomorrow at nine."

After a nearly sleepless night, I hurried down the streets of Coney Island to the jail house at nine am sharp.

Madame Giry, of course, was already there, cane in hand and looking calm and composed as always.

"What can we do?" I asked.

She smiled deviously, "Perhaps we can use our feminine charms to convince them to let him go."

I led her to the cell Erik was in last night, but Erik was nowhere to be found.

"Where is he?" I asked the group of prisoners.

"Them cops moved 'im to a different cell last night, lil lady," one of the men said.

It didn't take long to find the cell Erik was moved to, but what shocked me was that Erik was bruised, maskless, and had a number of minor abrasions across his body. God, what had happened?

"Erik!" I immediately was at his side.

"I'm fine, Christine."

"Fine? You look awful!"

"And that's something new?" he muttered bitterly.

"Erik, what happened to you?"

"Well, the other inmates didn't exactly treat me like a king after they ripped off my mask," he laughed dryly. "So, the guards moved me to a different cell."

"I'm going to go find the guard and get you out of here."

The guard was a stout, red-faced man in his thirties who reeked like whiskey.

"Sir, my husband didn't do anything wrong. Please, let him go."

"Ma'am, there ain't nothing I can do 'bout that. I'm just a guard. You'd have to talk to the chief."

"Fine. Can you please get him for me?" I asked.

"No, he's busy with more important things… We get plenty a wives who come in here sobbing 'bout their husbands. We can't help 'em all."

"Please, I need to talk with him!"

"I said no! Have a good day, ma'am," he said, tipping his hat.

I heard a loud cough from behind me—it was Madame Giry.

"Excuse me, monsieur, but I heard you say no to this sweet girl."

"Listen, lady, the chief has better things to care about than some bastard in prison."

"No, he doesn't. Now, let us speak with him."

"I don't see what you're-"

"Let us speak with him," Madame didn't raise her voice, though her command held all the strength of a slap in the face.

"Umm… I'll see what I can do, Madame," the guard said, tipping his hat low, obviously humiliated that he was shown up by a woman.

"You're amazing, Madame!" I said just as the guard was out of sight.

"Years of practice, my dear. It's not easy to get by as a single woman."

After a few minutes, the guard came back, still looking abashed.

"Umm… Just wait a few minutes. He'll call you in when he can talk with you."

"Yes, thank you," Madame thanked the guard coldly without a crack of a smile.

"Come in," a husky, mustached officer said, looking every bit the quintessential police chief.

He beckoned us into his office, which was simply furnished in deep colored wood.

"Well, what can I do for you, little lady?" he said, obviously taking in the view of me.

"Ummm… My husband," I emphasized the word. "He was put in prison under a faulty charge."

"I see... And which prisoner is your husband?"

"The one wearing the white mask... He was provoked and only punched that man once! That man is a liar! Erik did not punch him a dozen times or whatever the charge is! Erik was just trying to defend me- that man grabbed me!"

"Well, let's go talk with your husband then and we'll get his side of the story."

Once again, we went back to Erik's cell.

"Well, Mr. Destler is it?" the chief acknowledged Erik and eyed his wounds. "What happened to you? I though your little fight yesterday was a one-sided ordeal."

"He was beat up by some of the inmates," I explained.

"And what the hell's wrong with his face?"

"He was born like that…," I found myself feeling insulted that this man was so bluntly rude in commenting on Erik's deformity. Any insult to my husband was an insult to me.

"Good Lord…," the chief muttered under his breath. "Mr. Destler, from your point of view, what happened yesterday?"

"That man called my innocent wife a whore and touched her. And, might I add, she was holding our infant daughter. I went up to him and punched him once, monsieur… Once."

"Well, your story does seem to match up with your wife's... This actually happens a lot… Men, usually drunk ones, get into a brawl, someone gets thrown in jail, the wife comes in and sobs…," he said, then addressing me, continued. "You know what, little lady, just wait a day or two and I'll get things fixed up for you. Your husband should be outta jail in no time."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you, monsieur!"

"Your husband's record is clean… This has been his first offense… Just keep it his last or I might not be so forgiving next time... Have a good day, Madame," the chief gave me a curt nod and winked flirtatiously at me.

We bid goodbye to Erik and, after picking up Chantelle from the Giry's home, I returned to my own apartment. All I could do now was wait.

**

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Erik's POV

Thankfully, with Christine's charm and Madame Giry's formidable demeanor, I was set free after the second day of my imprisonment. Christine embraced me the second I came through the door. I felt so ashamed that I had been arrested… Christine must have been humiliated bailing me out.

"I'm sorry, my love," I said, kissing her hand.

"Erik, I know you were only trying to protect me."

"Yes, but I shouldn't have acted out like I did. It will not happen again."

"It better not. Chantelle has been doing nothing but crying these past couple of days without you."

I picked up my daughter who smiled upon seeing me, "And how is my little Angel doing today?"

"It's good to have you home, Erik," Christine cooed, placing a tender kiss against my neck.

"Oh Christine, I—"

The moment was interrupted by a loud knock at the door.

I opened the door to see a young man that I vaguely recognized from the freak show where I worked.

"Yes?" I grumbled angrily.

"S-sorry to interrupt, but the boss wanted me to g-give you a message," the boy stuttered, obviously intimidated by me.

"Well, spit it out then."

"The boss says you're fired… After what h-happened the other day, he doesn't want you around any of his c-customers…"

The news hit me like a ton of bricks. Fired? That was the last thing I wanted to hear. I had a wife and child to care for!

The boy fled before I could bawl him out for delivering such horrible news.

God, what was I going to do? Not only had I damaged Christine's good name by getting arrested, but I now lost my job too!

"Erik…," Christine's soft voice whispered as she placed her hand on my shoulder.

I shook her off and pounded my fists against the wall in frustration.

"It's okay, Erik…"

"No, it's not! I've failed as a husband and father! What man can't provide for his family?" I yelled.

"Erik, please—"

I walked out the door before she could finish.

"Where are you going, Erik?" she called from out in the hallway.

"I'm going to go find a job!"

I didn't return to the flat until late that evening. Christine was still up, staring blankly into the fireplace and holding a sleeping Chantelle in her arms.

I collapsed on the couch in exhaustion, sitting close, but not too close to Christine. I still felt guilty for the way I had acted…

"You look tired, Christine. You should go to bed."

Her gaze didn't leave the fire, nor did she respond to what I had said.

"Did you find a job?" she asked, completely devoid of emotion.

I sighed, "No one in Coney Island wanted to hire me… News gets around quickly here… Everyone knows what happened the other day or some over exaggerated, manipulated version of what happened... I tried looking for work outside of the amusement parks, but not even the workhouses would hire a man in a mask."

Christine nodded slightly, put Chantelle into her cradle, and crawled into bed herself.

"Goodnight, Erik," she said, turning off the gas lamp on the nightstand.

I stayed sitting on the couch until the fire was nothing more than soft glowing embers. Glowing embers just like the lights of the Ferris wheel that could be seen from our window.

I had an idea. A brilliant idea. With the flick of a match, I lit the candle on my desk to life and began to draw strange and marvelous buildings of all kinds. Wild and weird attractions unlike anything the world has ever seen before. A fantasy world that I would bring to reality. Phantasma.

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Okay! Sorry this chapter took so long! I've been busy this month and I was sick twice in the past three weeks! So, please review and feel free to leave any suggestions—I REALLY need them!

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Christine's POV


	25. Chapter 25 Preview

**So, I have absolutely no excuse for not updating since March… I don't always feel very inspired to write and the lack of reviews for the last chapter kinda got me down…**

**A/N: This is NOT a full chapter! It's actually just a preview of the new chapter… I promise I will complete this chapter in the next couple of weeks!**

**Christine's POV**

_We were back in Paris, taking a stroll through the Bois. The mid-morning sun cast its rays on the blooming trees and a gentle breeze swept through my long curls. Everything was serene. The only sound was that of soft, sublime music that seemed to be coming from nowhere. No one else was in the park—just Erik and me. _

_Erik smiled at me and I realized he wasn't wearing his mask. He put his lips to my ear and whispered something to me that I didn't hear. Suddenly, the sublime music that was playing changed to something dark and dreadful… I look around the park only to find all the trees suddenly burnt and the grass charred. Erik was no longer holding my hand. In fact, he had vanished. I called for him but no reply came. To my relief, the unsettling music stopped. All was silent. _

_I walked on through the burnt ruins, looking for Erik. Suddenly, I felt two large hands grasp my shoulders from behind. I sharply whirled around, expecting to find Erik… But, standing behind me, was Raoul!_

_I awoke, startled, and found myself in our flat on Coney Island. The sun shining through the curtains was faint. It was still very early in the morning. Finding that Erik was not in bed beside me, I scanned the small room to find him at his desk, completely engrossed in his work._

_Quietly rising from bed and pulling my robe closer to my body, I crept across the floor to where Erik was working by candlelight. Across the desk, there were dozens of beautiful sketches of ornate building and strange, unidentifiable structures. Judging by the vast number of sketches and their complexity, Erik had been up all night working on them. _

"_Erik?" I whispered._

"_Oh, Christine," he gasped, surprised to see me standing behind him. "Did you sleep well, my dear?"_

"_Not at all, but I don't wish to talk about it… What is all this anyway, Erik?"_

"_This…," he said after a great pause. "This is Phantasma."_

"_Phantasma?"_

"_Yes."_

"_And what exactly is 'Phantasma'?" I questioned, still not understanding what he was up to._

"_Phantasma, love, is going to be the most popular destination on Coney Island. It will draw in crowds from across the globe… It will be beautiful…" he responded._

"If you create it, I'm sure it will be," I said, pressing a kiss to his masked cheek. "But why, might I ask, are you sketching this?"

"It is going to make us wealthy beyond belief."

"Well, you know I don't need fancy things to make me happy," I assured, crossing over to Chantelle's cradle and scooping her into my arms.

"But you deserve the high life, Christine. I want to be able to afford a beautiful home for you, fancy dresses, and fine jewelry."

"Erik, you know I don't need any of that," I replied, pulling down the top of my nightgown to feed Chantelle. "I'm happy enough, Erik… After all, when I was just a little girl in Sweden, my father and I had nothing, but we were content just to have our music and each other's company."

Erik walked across the small room with one of the many beautiful drawings in his hand, closing the distance between us.

"I am happy with our life too, love… But you deserve better than this," he stated, gesturing to our tiny apartment. "Even if wealth and luxury don't mean a thing to you, what about our music, Christine? With the way things are now, we can't even afford a piano…"

That was my only complaint with my life. There was very little music. Yes, I would sing old opera arias to myself while going through the daily chores, but other than Chantelle, there was no one else to hear me sing… Even Erik rarely got to hear my voice considering how late he'd come home from work. Those few precious hours of time spent together late at night were musicless, for we were both too tired after the day's travails to sing… I missed the divine thrill of the stage. I missed seeing the curtain rise, hearing the orchestra begin, and feeling the sweet rush of performing beautiful arias.

"And this, my Angel, is where you shall soon sing again," Erik said with credence, holding up the picture in his hand.

Examining the sketch closer, I found it to be of a theatre, and a stunning one at that. Grand and luxurious, but not overdone with excessive or gaudy garnishes; it was a gleaming testimony to music and beauty… In fact, it was lovelier than the Paris Opera itself!

"Will this be part of Phantasma?" I asked, handing him back the drawing.

"Yes, it will, my dear. And you shall once again sing for the world and give these uncultured heathens a taste of heaven's music… The Great Christine Daae-the most stunning soprano of this or any age!"

I blushed at his praise. 

"_It would be nice to sing on stage again," I sighed, remembering the unparalleled delighted of performing. "But… What about little Chantelle? If I took to the stage again, I'd be gone almost every night performing… Not to mention the hours I'd be gone rehearsing… Who would watch Chantelle? Yes, Meg could watch her every so often, but not every night…"_

_Erik placed a delicate kiss on my hand and sighed, "I suppose you have a point there, love… But Phantasma isn't even built yet… I'm sure that by the time it's up and running, we'll have something figured out."_

**Okay, that's what I have so far… Stay tuned for the full chapter in the next couple of weeks!**


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